Heal Me
by aggie23
Summary: WEMMA AU. She should stay away from men like him; he should be with a woman like her. She should give him space, he should run to her.
1. Chapter 1

**Something I've been thinking for a while. I´m not very sure if it´s gonna turn out any good, but I thought it´d be interesting portraying Will different as I always do. Reviews make my day! ^.^**

**AU, not necessarily settled in Lima. **

**Thanks to Becca for proof-reading this for me and to Hannah (fadedglass) for her suggestion!**

**Aggie**

I

"You know that´s extortion, right?" She snorted half amused half incredulous, not believing Sandra was actually asking her this.

"What? It could accidentally slip out off my mouth..." the woman shrugged her shoulders innocently, "but if you do this for me, I´ll be extra careful not talking with anybody about it"

Being caught by one of the nurses with the Neurology surgeon all over her wasn´t what Emma called being cautious, she had been sure there was no one else around; and so was he. But oh no; Sandra had taken an extra shift to pay the holidays she had booked to the Bahamas. How stupid had she been by agreeing with him… and not locking the door was even more stupid.

Her eyes were on fire, "So let me get this straight… you want to change sector with me?"

"You´d go to intensive care rooms and I´d go to yours. Simple as that!"

"But I won´t be getting paid to do your job…" Sandra nodded, "So explain me how am I supposed to pay Med School and pass my courses if I´ll be doing your job?"

"It´s not that I'm asking you to do both jobs, Emma… and as far I see it, you don´t have many options…"

The redhead was indignant; she never thought her co-worker would be such a scrounger. "Fine!" She had no other choice but to agree, "Deal with Mrs. Bell about this so she knows I´ll _cover_ you"

"You´re a sweetheart", the woman was a fake while smiling at her and Emma´s brow cocked, "Think about this as an opportunity! It´ll be good for Med School"

As Emma was already aware, the new shifts were longer, but hours went by much faster when going from here to there was all she did. It was exhausting actually and not just physically, but emotionally as well. Checking on a kid who just had his appendix removed was way different than checking vital signs of a dying person. H section hallways were quieter than the common ones, quieter when the visit time was over and even quieter when relatives came to see the terminal or grave patient. Emma had only known death once, years ago when her mother passed away, but this… she sensed a black pall of fatality sprawling all around her. And what could people say when expecting something like this…?

"You´ll get used to it", Margaret, the Main nurse tried to encourage her and Emma nodded. She was young next to her new partners, but not that much really. Being near her thirties, anyone would think working in the Hospital would have inured her; but nursing was something Emma was still learning.

"It seems so hopeless sometimes", was her muttered comment when returning from room 102 where Mr. Harris had had a crying crisis, "I feel so bad for them…"

"You´re not here to feel bad for them, honey… You´re here to help them feel better or in the worst scenario to make death more tolerable"

"I´m not a priest", situations like these occasionally got her thinking if this is what she was born to be.

"I know we´re not. But sometimes they think of us like that… And Doctors don´t help any when just disappearing and leaving us in charge", she watched her sigh and inquired curiously, "Why did you ask to come here?"

"I´m in Med School", was her quick lie, "I want know what the future has in store for me."

"Future doctor, uh?" Margaret seemed pleased and Emma blushed slightly, "Well, I can´t wait to work with you"

_He´s been unconscious since we got him out of the car._

_Broken bones?_

_Besides the plastering femur? His ribs… at least three; inferior limbs muscles are surely sprained. Severe cranial traumatism. I can´t tell for sure if there´s any brain damage, we´re waiting for the scan results._

_Internal bleeding?_

_MRI will confirm it. But I bet my ass there is_.

The stretcher was carried hasty across the corridor. Thermic blankets coated a mutilated body, a breathing tube inserted through his blood covered mouth and loud voices were all Emma could register.

"Emma, right here!", her name rose above the small tumult and Emma jogged toward Doctor Stein, "hold these bandages tight around his ribcage", he ordered maneuvering and checking the man´s vital signs as one male nurse pushed the stretcher inside a room, "He´s been stabilized in the ER. Car accident. We need the MRI room now"

"I´ll call Doctor Fishbourn. Does he have relatives?"

"No emergency contact. Emma…" the old man added seeing her staring at the wounded man for a brief second.

"You think you can handle this?" Margaret asked later with a trace of doubt when they were alone in the nurses´ room.

"Yes", the redhead was determinate and nodded showing so.

"He´s in the operating room, the brain inflammation is serious", the nurse forewarned a possible outcome; maybe it was too soon for her to witness a death of such characteristics.

"I know. Mike is gonna be on the night shift and you´ll be here and Dr. Stein already gave me his history"

"Really?" the woman seemed impressed and Emma assented, "the old man is gonna put you under his protection, I'll tell you"

"Margare-", she couldn´t hold back a giggle at her words.

The light on the white screen tinker a couple of times under the 127.

"That´s yours, Emma"

Xx

"We´ve called the last number dialed on his cellphone", Dr. Stein said scanning the several screens on his left and completing his notes, "Dr. Howell´s report will be here in a few minutes"

"Ca-Dr. Howell performed the surgery?" she almost let his name out and fixed her eyes on the chart hanging on the edge of the bed, pretending it wasn´t a big deal.

"Yes, so he´ll be working on the case too. Probably more than me at first"

"Ok"

"Meds to be administrated are there", he pointed at the specifications Emma was reading, "We´ll discuss the evolution during shifts changes; please join us, Emma. I understand you´re graduating this year"

"Yes, Sr."

"Reason you should come", the old man reminded her to her grandfather, "Dr. Howell will update you, you can report to me"

Stein left the room rather quickly when his cell buzzed and Emma was left alone with the injured man. It was awfully silent, the sounds were heavy around her… the beeps and the breathing machine swelling up and down.

She watched the tube securely taped to his mouth, the wires coming underneath the covers, his casted leg rising in the air.

And then she observed him… his eyes closed, a bruise around his eye, cuts on his eyebrow and cheekbone, contusions and notches on his shoulders and chest; every exposed inch of skin was marked with the instant in which his car had crashed and rolled around on the ground. His head had to be shaved and wrapped with bandages after surgery.

Emma sighed with compassion toward the poor man laying on the bed and read the top of chart she was still holding.

William Schuester, 33.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N**: Thank you everybody for your cute pms and reviews. Hope you enjoy this chapter as well! And thanks to Becca, again!

Aggie

II

"Where´s Albert?" Carl´s question disconcerted her for a moment; she thought he´d know she´d be doing more than changing the patient´s IV.

"Dr. Stein told me to go see him once you bring the report", she said with satisfaction not noticing the grin appearing on his lips.

"You think it´s a good idea?" she cocked an eyebrow at him, "I wouldn´t want you to forget something important"

"Carl, I´m not 5. Do you forget I'm getting my degree soon? This is good for me…"

"There´s a man´s life at risk", he pointed serious and Emma snorted.

"Fine, you do it… I have bandages to clean", she turned around to leave, but his soft grip on her wrist stopped her.

"You know I don´t mean it like that", the charm on his eyes was women-melting, but Emma felt insulted, "I know you´re not five, baby"

"No, you´re right. I could forget something", she replied ironically getting rid of his hold the moment a nurse appeared behind the corner, "Let me know if you need anything, Dr. Howell. Anne have you seen Margaret?"

XXX

"Ma´am, can I help you?" there was a tall black haired woman standing near the private rooms door, "You can´t be here unless you-"

"I´m here to see Will Schuester", her blue-ish eyes were sparkling and Emma could tell she had been crying, "I´m Shannon Beiste; I got a call last night but some Doctor wouldn´t let me in"

"We were informed he had no emergency contact, that was probably the reason you were not allowed to come in", was her apologize, "Why don´t you follow me and you can fill a form for him?"

Talking with the woman brought Emma to know, Mr. Schuester had no family around; his parents had died years ago, she was the closest thing to a family he had; and there were a lot of acquaintances who hadn´t heard about the accident. Maybe they´d show up later.

"The visit regimen is only one hour a day; thirty minutes at midday, thirty minutes in the evening. Only two people are allowed to go in", she informed not wanting a 15 person group hanging around the hallway, "But I must tell you, Miss Beis-"

"Shannon, please"

"Shannon", Emma smiled, "Mr. Schuester is asleep and we are not certain-"

"Emma, the visit time is over now", Carl´s voice echoed behind her and both women turned around.

"Dr. Howell, good you´re here. This is Shannon Beiste; she´s here for Mr. Schuester"

"Erm,"

_Why doctors can´t remember their patients´ names?_ "The man who arrived yesterday… Car accident, cranial traumatism-?"

"Yes!" he remembered, "Of course. Come here, please"

"Thank you… Emma, right?" the redhead nodded, "See you later"

"Bye"

XX

Shannon kept coming. Every day, twice. Each time with a small bouquet of white flowers and a small Ipod in which she would play a song or two for her friend. After one or two days she´d come with a different young woman joining her; younger women. It caught Emma´s attention. No man of 33 would have so many girlfriends that age.

"You´ve got him taken care of", the woman mentioned with gratitude while Emma replaced his IV and adjusted the medication, "He looks better than last week"

"He´s better… The liquid has drained almost completely of his head, the bruises are still there, but there will be none soon"

"Then why isn´t he waking up?"

"You see these numbers?", Emma explained softly pointing at the screens above her head, "We need them to be lower to wake him up; he can breathe on his own, but Dr. Howell thinks it´s better for his brain to get enough oxygenation before removing the machine for good"

"He´ll be ok? You know… is he gonna have any long term consequences?"

"We can´t tell until he´s awake. I´m sorry. I… I'll let you know when time´s up", she excused herself and closed the door behind her on her way out. Her eyes stitched when rubbing them insistently, she was really tired. _Three more weeks, three more weeks and you´ll go back_. Exams were just around the corner and passing seemed like an impossible mission right now; she was so exhausted. Schuester was sucking off all her energies. But she wouldn´t lie; she couldn´t not dedicate an extra effort to him seeing there was only one woman willing to drive 45 minutes twice a day to see him lying there and not even moving his hand.

Every hour Emma walked in the 127 and checked on him; it wasn´t really necessary though. Procedure established she should do so every two hours. However, her routine had outlined without her even noticing. She´d shaved him in the morning and Mike would wash him at night. She´d disinfect his wounds before Shannon would arrive and put an extra blanket on his feet around 3, because for some reason the heating would stop working for 30 minutes around that time.

XX

"Emma?" the drowsiness on the speaker revealed Carl´s condition, "just letting you know we´re unplugging 127 tonight-"

"What do you mean _unplugging_?" she jerked on the bed.

"Relax, the breathing machine is going off. He´ll be breathing by himself tonight"

"Really?" she couldn't conceal the happiness.

"And also 125 is having a bypass tomorrow at 9. So Albert is probably gonna need you there around 8.45"

"Ok", she could only listen to one thing. Finally good news.

"We could go out for dinner at 8, you think?"

"Ok, call me when you finish your shift"

It was a relief going into room 127 and not hearing the spasms from the breathing machine; only beeps and a very quiet, soft intake of air and his chest rising and falling slowly.

He was asleep and Emma checked the meds administrated the past three hours. Mike should have written how much morphine he had applied. Maybe Schuester wouldn´t wake up in several hours.

She hummed whilst sitting on the edge of the bed and implements were resting on the sliding table. It was easy lifting his chin and pressing the blade softly across his jaw now the tube and tapes had been removed. He had strong bones; she could tell… not only by the way they felt under her hands, but also for having come through the accident. The car was so dented it had been a miracle the firemen could get him out.

It had become a habit, singing while being in silence. She didn´t do it for him, but Emma was unaware she only sang in room 127.

_There was a boy, a very strange enchanted boy_

_They say he wander very far, very far over land and sea_

_A little shy and sad of eyes but very wise was he_

_And then one day one magic day he passed my day _

_And as we speak of many things, fools and kings _

_This he said to me 'the greatest thing you´ll ever learn _

_is just to love and be loved in return'_

She wiped his jaw line and mouth carefully. It twitched and Emma froze.

His eyelids flutter slowly and as she struggled for words that didn't come their eyes met for the first time.

Hazel… No. Emerald. He had the deepest eyes she had ever seen and all that green and grey mixture of colors were drifting her away.

"Wh-",

"Don´t speak, Sir", she finally found her voice and cupped his nape to make him take a couple of gulps of water, "Can you understand what I say?", a nod was his answer and Emma observed the screens above, "Do you feel any pain?", a shake of head and she felt his weary stare on her, "Take some more water", he did what she said, watching her carefully, "There you go…", she gave him a kind smile and guided his head back on the pillow, "Could you touch the tip of your nose with your left hand? Slowly… "; after a couple of required tests, Emma verified he could understand and follow instructions; no a-praxis. She sighed alleviated.

"Who are you?" his voice was raucous after all those days of silence and he swallowed.

"My name is Emma. You know what happened?"

"Yes"

"You know where you are? What year is this?"

"Hospital, 2012", another smile was her confirmation, "I´m Will"

His lucidity and calmness surprised her, "I know; let me call Dr. Stein"

xx

"Mr. Schuester, I´m Dr. Stein and this is Dr. Howell"

"Hello"

"Do you remember what happened?"

"Yes, I told her", his head pointed at Emma who was adjusting the bandage around his ribs, "I was in a car accident", his manners weren´t what one could call nice, but could she blame him? He was sore, and surrounded by strangers asking him annoying questions.

"Touch the tip of your nose with your right hand", Carl requested crossing out something on his notes.

"She already made me do that as well…and other things…"

"Excellent then!" the old man looked pleased and smiled at Emma, "Mr. Schuester your brain surgery was satisfying; you´ll have appointments in cognitive rehabilitation in case there´s something we´re not seeing"

"Ok", she looked at him; what could he possibly answer to that?

"And as you can see your legs got most of the impact, reason why you´ll need physical rehab too"

"I´ll walk again?"

"There´re two shattered tendons"

"That´s a no?"

_Oh Gosh_… the air was stuck in her throat.

"That´s a maybe"

He said nothing and looked away, where Emma was standing, her heart breaking in a million pieces when their eyes locked; all she could do was send him a weak smile.

"Emma will be one of your nurses. You haven´t met Mike yet but you will tonight"

"Ok"

"There´s someone here to see you", Emma´s voice spoke softly when both doctors exchanged a couple of words and Will´s eyes lightened up.

"Who?"

"Shannon´s been coming since the first day"

"Really?" he tried to sit straight, but his body was seriously injured and he growled.

"Don´t move", she rushed to him and fixed the wires on his arms and the electrodes on his chest, "Are you in pain?"

She was sweet while assisting him and Will shook his head once more, "I´m fine"

"Try to relax, ok? The last thing we need is you getting over excited…"

A light grin lined his lips, "Can you call her now?"

Emma smiled and went for the other woman standing nervously outside; she had slipped her number on her hand in case her friend wake up unexpectedly, "Will! Ya bastard!" Shannon run to him and closed her fist, fighting with the impulse of taking him in her arms, "How could you do that?" Her expression showed concern, "That´s the last time you drive back home after a party. Ya could have killed yourself, ya could have killed someone!"

"Shan-"

"Don't 'Shannon' me! I´ve been praying for you to wake up… I thought-thought you wouldn´t"

"Shan, I would-"

"Ya don´t know that"

Emma called her name timidly, "I´m sorry… we need you to be in charge of some forms for Mr. Schuester's rehab treatment"

"Sure. Don´t ya think I´m done with ya", she warned him before stepping outside.

"Thank you", Will said when his friend left the room, "she´d have been doing that forever"

"No problem"

"And thanks for shaving me"

"Any time"


	3. Chapter 3

**I decided to write this chapter a little bit more focused on Will´s POV**.

**Hope you like it! Next update will be here soon!**

**Aggie**

III

It was perturbing waking up with a beeping sound every morning instead of hearing the birds chirping outside. All the whiteness was as distressing as feeling the needles in his forearms and the itchiness on the back of his head, underneath the bandages.

"Shit…" He cursed when shifting in his place and the pain in his torso reminded him of his broken ribs.

"Good morning." A familiar soft voice spoke from the bathroom and he blushed. In all the excitement of the previous day, he hadn´t notice how crimson her hair was, not even the tenderness of her stare.

"I´m sorry, I didn´t know… Good morning." Will watched her walk to him and check on the screens before adjusting some buttons.

"How is your head feeling?" She examined him carefully and got the gauzes and antiseptics ready.

"It itches." He tried to scratch the wound but Emma held his hand before he could reach it.

"That´s a good sign… it´s healing. Let's see about getting it cleaned and then you can have breakfast, ok?" He nodded and she smiled; she was actually very sweet and skilled when unwrapping the bandages from around his head and sterilizing the incision. "Are you hungry?"

"Honestly? Yes. I´m starving"

"Well, you haven´t eaten in a week." She couldn´t help but giggle. "Tea or juice?"

"Waffles!" He teased hoping she´d laugh again; it was a lovely sound.

She did eventually and Will beamed proud of himself. "What about toast? It looks kind of like waffles but…. I´m sorry, Sir…" She added seeing his defeated expression. "But that´s all you can start eating for now."

"Ok." What could he do? Argue with her? It wasn´t her fault.

"Do you need anything else?"

"I know you´ve done enough… but would you help me shaving?" He ran his hand across his chin. Why was hair growing so fast? Maybe it was because she had been doing that for him for the past days. He had never shaved more than 4 times in a week.

"Uhm, sure." For the briefest moment she hesitated before stepping in the bathroom and looking for the blade and the shaving cream. It was slightly uncomfortable doing such task now he was awake. Mr. Schuester was handsome, truly handsome and affable. But she shouldn´t be thinking about that; it wasn´t her job. She should be taking care of him, not drooling all over him.

"Thanks…" He straightened the head of the bed and himself as much as he could. "I´m really sorry, but Shannon would have cut my throat if I asked her for help with this."

"Well, she was worried." Emma was understanding and sat on the edge of the bed.

"Yeah, I know." He noticed her light smile and her hands were warm and delicate on his cheeks when applying the white cream.

"You were pretty damaged." The words slipped out her mouth and her neck went pink colored for a moment; she was worried about him as well. The blade ran across his jaw under her focused eyes and Will watched her.

The slightly furrowed eyebrows, thin and feminine above big amber eyes embellished by black long eyelashes. She was absolutely gorgeous. And all those freckles spreading along her tiny nose… She was probably near her thirties, but there was an air of youth on her persona.

"How long have you been a nurse?" He asked softly when she licked her lips as her fingers brushed the corner of his mouth.

Their eyes met and her movements ceased. "Uhm, about a year."

"Really?" He sounded faintly surprised; she seemed to know what she was doing very well; but the care she put in, when around him, told him that she must be new at this.

"Uh-hu…" She had to look away; his stare was intense on her, it made her chest tickle a little, "I was the oldest student"

"You don´t look old to me." Was his cute semi flirt- joke, and Emma beamed.

"Well, thank you, Mr. Schuester. I´m 29." She added seeing he was waiting for her to speak.

"That´s what I thought." She bent his neck back and slid the blade through his gullet, "And what did you do between that and high school?"

"I studied." Was her elusive reply and Will chuckled; he liked this woman.

"For ten years?"

"I got into Med School and then dropped it." She cleaned the razor blade on the towel on his chest. "Worked for three years and then I decided to be a nurse."

"You like being a nurse?" He wondered if she did; if she enjoyed taking care of dying people and listening to their complaints, or was worse to hear them flirt, just like he was doing right now.

"I do."

"Patients can be annoying…" He tried to joke seeing she became sort of tight-lipped. "Like too talkative and inquisitive, can they?"

A laugh was her response. "Well, just a little, but I don´t mind." The man was seriously attractive, even all bruised and bandaged. "Ok, we´re done here, Sir. Give me that, I´ll clean it." She took the towel off him. "So? Tea or juice?"

"Waffles." He said once more causing her lips to purse to hold back a snigger. "Juice"

"Ok. I´ll be right back."

"It´s Will."

"Uhm?" She stopped in her tracks, confused.

"My name. It´s Will." For being a man who almost died, he hadn´t lost practice.

"I know."

"You can call me Will."

"Uhm, Mr. Schuester is-…"

"What about William?" Even under those conditions he managed to be charming and Emma blushed.

_You ass, why are you blushing_?

"William; it´s ok."

-XX-

It was boring; being in his bedroom all alone, getting visits just one hour a day. Maybe he shouldn´t have had all that booze two weeks ago and tried to drive to Terri´s house so drunk. It wasn´t like he was desperate for a shag, but what else could he do on a Saturday night? And Terri was hot. Young and hot.

He hadn´t heard from her since that night, though; although Will wasn´t expecting to either, but it´d have been nice seeing someone care about him, besides Shannon of course. Gratitude wouldn´t be enough to describe how he felt toward her.

Ok, he had been an idiot. His body reminded him so after the pain killers effects would begin to faint.

But there she´d come.

Emma.

"Thanks. I´m sorry I bothered you. I feel like I shouldn't be here."

"What do you mean?" Maybe it was the morphine injected a few minutes ago making him talk nonsense.

"I feel better"

"Mr. Schue- William." He smiled seeing her correct herself. "That´s because you´re having morphine. You can´t walk yet. Not even stand on your feet."

"I wouldn´t be here if it wasn´t for… Never mind." Maybe it wasn´t a good idea to open himself up so honestly to her.

"Do you, uhm, do you always drink that much?" His questioning eyes made Emma clarify herself. "You had high alcohol levels when you were brought here."

"No. I mean, maybe. I drink during weekends." He felt humiliated under her kind eyes. "I shouldn´t though."

"I could call Dr. Fisher, if you want. She´s a psychiatrist and might help you with-"

"I don´t have drinking problems, Emma." He put softly. "You can ask Shannon if you don´t believe me." He desperately begged for her to believe him.

"I do."

"I just made the wrong decision by driving that night."

-XX-

"I´ve been wondering something…" He had just woken up from the little nap his body usually demanded him to take. "Why did you drop Med School?"

Her uneasy stare didn´t come unnoticed for Will but the answer was simple. "I went back"

"Really?" She nodded. "So you´ll be a doctor soon… that´s impressive."

"Not too much." She was modest, letting him flatter her. Maybe she shouldn´t, he was her patient; but nobody ever asked anything about her life. Not even Carl.

"I think it is." He did, really. She looked smart and hard-working; but she was actually noteworthy.

"You?"

"No, I didn´t drop or retake Med School." Emma giggled while cleaning the cuts on his face, "I´m an accountant."

"Oh… That sounds interesting." She wouldn´t have imagined that was what he did.

"It´s not really, but I get a good pay and can do what I like." He meant partying and taking some date to a fancy place. Women in their early twenties were prone to be impressed with that.

"That´s good." Her words joined her smile.

"What do you li-"

"Emma, can you come here for a moment?" It was Carl´s voice calling her while opening the door and nodding at Will.

"Uhm, yes of course, doctor." Quickly, she stood up and followed him outside.

The door wasn´t completely closed when she left, but it was hard for him to hear what they were talking about. Maybe it was something related to him, to his condition. He prayed to God that it wasn't.

His white smock was close to the cream skirt of her uniform. Maybe too close. He didn´t like Dr. Howell… The few short conversation they had had, only revealed his conceit and lack of interest about his condition. He was cocky and the two bodies standing outside his bedroom so near didn´t look right.


	4. Chapter 4

**New update! Any thoughts?**

**Your reviews make my day!**

**Aggie**

IV

Emma discovered Will was a morning person; even before she arrived, he was already doing something: watching the news or reading something Shannon would have brought him the night before.

"Good morning." She was always polite when seeing him awake and alert. "How was last night?"

"Erm, nothing happened…", He wasn´t sure what was she talking about.

"I know… So, you sleep well?", She trailed slowly, leaving his typical orange juice and toast on the tray before him.

"Yes…" He still didn´t know what she meant.

"Painkillers dose was reduced." She announced proudly. "That´s good news!"

"Now you mention it, I was a little sore…" He joked taking a considerable piece of toast in his mouth.

"I´m sure you were…", Will was aware of the boyish grin lining his lips, and Emma shunned his eyes when blush crept up her cheeks. "I´ll remove your head´s bandage when you´re done with that."

"For good?", She nodded. "What about these ones?" He meant the ones around his ribcage but Emma shook her head.

"Not until you can sit straight by yourself." It had became a normal practice to shave him as soon as he woke up. Before or after breakfast. So she went to the bathroom to grab all she´d use.

Will grinned against the edge of the glass, watching her. He just knew what she´d do next; she´d sit on the border of his bed, despite there was a chair next to it and then her warm hands would disguise the coldness of the shaving cream.

"What if I can sit down?", He challenged leaving the glass aside, attempting to show her he could. Maybe she could… or maybe not. He hadn´t moved from bed since he was admitted in the Hospital.

"No, no, no", Emma shortened the distance between them in two large steps. "It´s only been a few weeks; your ribs won´t heal in that time."

"I can do it", He said again supporting his weight on his fists by his sides, getting ready to perform a demonstration for her.

"No, William." Gently the redhead held his shoulders still.

"You sound like my History teacher back in High School." Was his vivacious joke whilst pretending to surrender to her.

"I bet she was behind you all day", The blade went down his throat leisurely, and he nodded.

"But I was a good kid." He displayed his most innocent smile and Emma´s eyes rolled.

"Mike told me you´re getting along with him" She referred to the night shift nurse and Will nodded. "I hope you´re not annoying him." It was her time to mock and she almost smacked herself for saying such thing. _What´s your problem_?

"No, no… I´m good to him", He was teasing her and Emma played along.

"It´s good to know someone can do his job without you doing something silly."

He laughed and rejoiced with her smile. She was really something, different, more exciting than any other women he had dated. Older too, and smarter; much more interesting.

"Do you think I´ll be out before Christmas?"

"I don´t know…";Seriousness suddenly felt upon them. "You need to start rehab before going home."

"But I haven´t."

"Exactly." At least she wasn´t lying, a detail he appreciated. "You´ll go to intermediate care when doing so, and then to the normal rooms. Once that happens you´ll be able to go home."

"It seems like that won´t happen for weeks."

"You just gotta do what the doctors tell you." She advised with sympathy, wiping the remaining shaving cream off his face. "And behave properly."

"I do behave properly!" He grumbled holding back a snicker. "And getting such short visit time isn´t really helpful."

"I´m sorry."

"I´ll tell you what, you help me get better and I´ll be good." He sent her a wink when she stood up, ready to leave the room.

"Only time will help you get better."

"But if you help me I'll get better faster." Another wink and Emma couldn´t prevent her lips from curving.

"I´ll come back in an hour." She declared ending the conversation. He was really charming.

-XX-

"Whoa, whoa, what are you doing?", Her shocked voice caused him to chuckle softly.

"Stretching my legs." He put out inoffensively.

"Ok, no…" She threw a blanket on him. "First one of your legs is already stretched…" She indicated the casted one, "…and second, there´s no need for you to do that."

He sighed, pretending frustration; his little plan had been working perfectly for the last few days, moving more than necessary to spend more time with her. "I think the cast is a little loosened." He had noticed it a week ago, but now it was becoming a bother.

"Really?" She slid her hand underneath the covers to verify it and his breath got stuck in his throat when the warm of her fingers made contact with the little skin between his leg and the plaster.

_Oh my God_. It hit him for the first time. Had she touched him like that when he was asleep? Since he was awake, the only one helping him get cleaned was Mike, not her.

"Yeah, it´s a little bit loosened…" Her eyes locked with his when noticing his little jerk and the blush creeping up his cheeks. She mirrored him and removed her hand, maybe faster than she should. "I´ll call Dr. Smith to come put you a new one."

"O-ok".

-XX-

"You seem to be doing ok in Intensive Care"; that pretended casual tone was the one Carl used when addressing a topic that somehow bothered him.

"I am", was her exhaled reply wondering what would come next.

"How´s 127 doing?" He didn´t care at all. But he had seen Emma more times than necessary walking around the bedroom.

"William?"

"So that´s his name…" He was waiting to catch her saying something like that.

"Yes, you should know… he´s your patient as well".

"I just opened his head and took a clot out."

"Gosh, Carl… Are you serious?" Her eyes opened wide, horrified, "That man almost died."

"That´s right; almost. I prevented it." That '_step aside here comes God_' was the attitude Emma repulsed about doctors.

"Ok, can we talk about something else?" Sometimes she wondered what she was doing with someone like him. She hadn´t met his parents yet, they haven´t even come clean about their relationship at work…

"Like what?" Besides sex, they have almost nothing in common.

"I don´t know… maybe we could go somewhere for Christmas, you know after my exams…", Emma had been trying to make things work, but his little interest discouraged her.

"Are you sure that´s what you wanna do?" He questioned softly, wrapping his arm around her shoulders.

"Going out-"

"No, Med School."

"Of course I do!" _What is wrong with him_?

"It can be hard sometimes… you know, climbing so high coming from so below-"

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"You sure you´re gonna be ok with that?"

"Wh-", her eyes were on fire, waiting for him to drop the bomb.

"To be the nurse who became a doctor."

"That´s what you think about me?" If Emma had known his words would hurt her that much, she would have stopped him before going so far.

"No." He was lying, she knew. That was what he did when his eyebrow creased and he beam like that.

"You do. Why would you mention it if you didn´t?" She got rid of his hold, angered, and grabbed her coat from the clothes rack.

"I just don´t want you to get frustrated when you fail."

"I won´t!"

"Ok, you´re upset, I get it… Let's do something, why don´t we talk tomorrow?"

"I don´t think so. I don´t think we should talk again." It was the last drop.

"C´mon, baby, don´t get like this...", He stood up, decided to go stop her but she was quicker opening the door and taking a step out.

"I´ll get like this yes. And don´t call me baby. Ever."

-XX-

"What on Earth? What are you trying to do?" Her voice was disturbed when rushing in 127, "William, you can´t do that!" Emma was thankful that it was Cathy and not Margaret calling her to Mr. Schuester room right after seeing him struggling with the handrail of the bed.

"I wanted my legs to hang off the bed for a second." He didn´t actually; as the matter of fact he was certain someone would see him and call Emma before he could even get himself out of bed.

"You can´t walk yet…" She was indignant while lifting his casted leg to the suspender above it, "What if you fall down? It could have been a disaster…" She snorted, annoyed, covering his naked chest once more. "Your head, the wires, the… Don´t do that again." It was the first time he had tried to move out of bed, something Emma never thought he would dare to try.

"Ok"

"You said you wouldn´t." She was disappointed and he smiled. But she didn´t return the gesture. After what happened with Carl, this was the last thing she needed… arguing with patients.

"I´m sorry."

"You´re not. You were just bored." She sighed, attempting to calm down.

_No, I wanted you to come talk to me_. "I was, but _I´m_ sorry." He was. And her troubled expression swelled his chest up and called his attention.

"I could tell Shannon to bring your laptop or something…" She thought out loud. "Or some books"

"I don´t want books. Are you ok?" If he looked carefully enough he could catch her perturbation.

"I´m fine. You can´t do that ag-"

"You look upset…" He trailed slowly.

"I am."

"But not just with me." He pointed reasonably and Emma shook her head.

"I happen to have a life, William, that´s all. It gets complicated sometimes."

"What happened?" He knew she´d probably tell him that was none of his business but what did he have to lose?

"I broke up with my boyfriend." Boyfriend wasn´t the correct word to describe Carl, but going into details wasn´t a good idea; it wasn´t even a good idea to be talking about this with him.

Ok, he wasn´t expecting that at all. Actually he didn´t think she had a boyfriend. Maybe because she had always accepted his sweet-talk and flirtation. "I´m sorry." She didn´t look pleased at all, not sad either. It was hurt written all over her face.

"It´s ok… I just thought people would have a little more faith in me, that´s all."

"Maybe your boyfriend was an ass." Will pointed and Emma sniggered. "See? I´m right!" She giggled once more and her expression softened.

"Maybe. Perhaps… perhaps there´re no men willing to commit themselves."

He gulped; she was talking about men like him and wondered how many women had he hurt for doing what her boyfriend had done. He certainly didn´t want to add her name to his failed relationship list.

"Commitment is not for everybody." Was his ambiguous line and Emma looked at him. He was a fake, but she never interpreted his words as such.

"I bet it isn´t." A heavy silence fell on the room; his eyes were warm from the bed, but she had no sympathy on him when reprimanding him again. "Don´t ever try to get out bed."

"Emma I'm fine."

"You will be when Dr. Stein says so." She dried his slightly sweaty forehead, eyebrows again furrowed.

"He knows squat." He kidded shifting on the bed. "You think I can get up."

"It doesn´t matter what I think". Maybe he could, but she couldn´t help him. It was not her job, not now at least.

"I think it does, you could talk to him; he listens to you."

"He knows better, and he´ll determinate when you´re ok to get up."

"I want you to help me get stronger." He took the gauze from her hands and held it above his head.

"You´re-"

"Really? My cast is suddenly too big… I keep getting skinnier…" He wouldn´t confess it, but losing his muscles was a punch to his narcissism; how was he supposed to walk properly if he had no muscles to support his body?

She understood him; his body had caught her attention, now the strength in his arms and legs had vanished with the wasting away of his muscles. "Ok, I´ll talk to him. But I can´t promise you he´ll agree."


	5. Chapter 5

**Quick update, I know… the story is getting in motion! ;) Can´t wait to see what you think about it!**

**Reviews are lovely!**

**Aggie**

V

Perhaps telling him she had broken up with her so called 'boyfriend' was exaggerated, it wasn´t for sure she was single again, just like 6 months ago. She used to think the most important thing was having someone to share her life with; even if that someone was ridiculous, and for her, he was absolutely unbearable. Not now, though. It took years to Mrs. Pillsbury to exile that out daughter´s head, but as with every rebel teenager, Emma wouldn´t listen to her. Like most people, she learned her mother was right as she found herself bumping into the same wall more than once.

That night was the last time she´d make the same mistake. She wasn´t in love with Carl, what was the logic basis to abide his cockiness? She´d rather be alone… or with someone better. Someone perhaps more like William. He was the sweetest man she´d met, setting aside his constant flirting (which Emma still found cute) and his misbehaving habits (which she found ever cutter).

There was only one way, and one way only, Emma would give Carl another chance; but by judging his little interest, she could say they were no longer together.

He came eventually, only for a moment during her lunch recess bragging about some miraculous surgery he had performed on a little 8 year old girl. Scorn was written all over her face, a signal he took not to speak to her again.

-XX-

"Why are you working in intensive care?" Will enjoyed listening to whatever she had to say; sometimes, her words were at odds with her aspect: she looked sweet and mild but most of times, her opinions were strong and determinate.

"I traded sections with a co-worker." She explained fleeting, carefully skipping the details of the swap. Mentioning she had been caught by Sandra in a very improper position with her now ex-boyfriend was out of the question.

"So in which section where you before?"

"Just the regular rooms." She declared calmly binding his torso up with new gauzes.

"And you traded your old section for this one? I´m sorry but I think you got screwed." He laughed and whined when feeling a sting right on the ribs.

"Don´t intake air too sharply." She shook her head hiding her smile as he breathed slowly. "And I don´t think I got screwed. I like here."

"Why? You get crabby patients and crabby visits." Was his presumption. "I mean, besides me..."

"Do you want to hear a secret?" She looked up at him, stopping her actions and he nodded silently; she hadn´t realized how securely her hands were holding his upper body, not even her eyes sparkling so brightly. "You´re not very injured, you´re just a whiner." Her mocking drew a laugh out if him and then a light cry when a sharp pain ripped through his torso again.

"Hey!" He watched her wrapping the white gauze for the last time and holding it tight with tape. "Thanks…" His gape was always watchful on her, on her calculated movements. Sometimes she´d be reading silently and he´d catch himself examining her, her calm breathing, her white skin. Sometimes, the length of her skirt would look shorter than usual to him.

"You´re welcome." The smile lingered on her mouth for a second before helping him to lie back on the bed. "Are you ok?"

"Yeah… Just bored. How long until visits time?" He prayed Shannon would come that evening; midday alone was depressing and Emma had gone out for lunch, thinking he´d have company.

"About an hour…" She padded the pillows below his head, slightly lifting him up. He had lost weight in part because his appetite wasn´t what one could call abundant and the Hospital food wasn´t helping either; "Do you want me to, uhm, ask Shannon to bring you something special tonight?" He could deviate a little from his diet.

"Like what?" _Thank you, Jesus_!.

"Pasta could work… or, a decent piece of chicken."

"Oh my God, I'd _love_ you if you do that for me."

Her cheeks burned and a giggle broke free. "I´d be happy if you just stop moving so much and let your body heal!"

"Ok!" He put on his good-boy smile. "I´ll do what you tell me."

Her eyebrow cocked. "I don´t believe you one bit, but ok."

-XX-

He´d be utterly thwarted not seeing Shannon walking through his door that night; the woman had parent meetings at the School where she worked. Emma chewed her lips nervously remembering what a depressing day he´d had; not taking into account the little moments they spent together, she had seen him looking down at his fragile legs hoping muscles would develop soon and the cast coating the complete length of his right leg would suddenly disappear.

She had perceived his heavy sighs, his eyes skimming the room for something to awake his interest. Nothing would, except when she walked in with something for him to read or a cookie she had trailed in exchange for an extra hour next weekend. It was stupid of her, actually… An extra hour for a smile on his lips. But he seemed so miserable…

Emma could barely imagine his face when getting no visits. Maybe she could getaway a little earlier from classes to catch the visit time and take him some pasta. She should be allowed to do that; she´d be his visitor.

It had been a long time since she´d gone inside the Hospital at dark; most of the night shift employees didn´t know who she was, fact that would save her a lot of explanations in the morning. Except for Mike… He was younger than her; going out on weekend was all he did besides working; probably having extra hours for fun would be gladly accepted.

"Emma?" The night shift nurse called her name when catching her red hair at the end of the hallway.

"Hi…" The aluminum tray was warm in her hands; the pasta smelled delicious.

"You brought your partner dinner?" He was teasing her and she blushed when seeing his cross sided smile. "Ok, what´s your offer?" Two weekends and a home-made meal was his condition. It wasn´t that terrible, actually. She´d rather spend two extra weekends at the Hospital than bearing with the dirty looks her co-workers would send her if suspecting she was doing late-night visits to one of her patients.

She cleared her throat and took a couple of deep breathes as her feet directed her toward the corridor; there was barely anyone there that night, it could be fun; maybe they could talk about something else besides work.

"Shelby told me she came, and so did Holly" There was a woman´s voice coming out Will´s room and Emma stopped right on her tracks. He was with someone; thank God she was late.

"Yeah… I was beginning to wonder where you were" He was eating something, probably something much more delicious than the food Emma had brought. Suddenly she felt silly and tiny; so insignificant.

"School´s keeping me busy." She realized the woman was actually more resembling a young woman than a grownup; it didn´t feel right. She sounded like someone in their nearly twenties. "Now I know why you didn´t make it home that night. I´m still thinking about it…" She couldn´t make out his expression, but the tune was low, secreted; she didn´t like it. "I was wondering… have you had a decent visit since you´ve been here? I don´t think Shelby or Holly paid you enough attention…" The insinuation was evident and Emma staggered backwards, dropping the disposable tray on her feet.

_Can you be more naïve_? No wander he was so charming… That was what he did. That was why he had been in that accident in the first place. He was a total, absolute, natural womanizer…_ And you thought he liked you?_

"_Fuck._" She collided with a nurse behind her. "I'm sorry-I'm… Shit._" You believed every word he said, didn´t you?_ She had, she had worried about him, even talked about him with her best friend; and now she was there, hands still dirty with what was left from the little special dinner she had brought for him.

"Don´t worry miss, I´ll clean that for-"

"Thank you, I´m-". _He´d have sleep with that girl if it wasn´t for you. Someone is going to come out of that room and you better be gone when that happens_.

"Are you for room 127?"

"No! No, no…" Her clumsy legs took her to the exit. "I think I'm in the wrong hallway. Good night…"

Maybe there were no men willing to make a commitment after all.

-XX-

Pissing off a woman holding a razor blade was nothing but a dreadful idea and Emma surely looked pissed enough to him. For some reason this was the second pair of eyes he had seen fuming in the past twelve hours; rocky was the last word usable to describe his relationship with women, other than rocky seemed like a pretty good word now. Maybe rejecting Terri like that had been a mistake, but what else could he do? A blowjob wasn´t what he had in mind when thinking 'don´t get over excited if you want to get better'. He wanted to get better; he almost died, for Christ Sake. The only person who cared enough was Shannon… and possibly Emma too. The last thing he wanted to do was upset them. But now… something wasn´t ok.

"You ok?" He asked when she lifted his chin with uncharacteristic roughness.

"Fine." She had never been so reluctant to make conversation.

"You look upset."

"I am."

"Problems with your ex?" He already knew the answer. The shadow casting her eyes was completely different from the one he had seen a week ago.

"No."

_Bingo_. "Oh… What´s going on?"

"Don´t worry about it." What could she say? She had no right to reproach anything; they weren´t dating. He had only been flirting for the last few weeks and she had foolishly fallen and what was worst, she thought he was different.

"I _do_ worry."

Her furious eyes found his encouraging stare; she had a pinch of cream on her chin, it made her look unbelievable beautiful. "You shouldn't."

"Did I do something wrong?" It couldn´t have come out more like a boyfriend would say, but there was nothing else he could think of.

"Don´t twitch your mouth, I could cut you."

He held her wrist before she could move the blade. "Ok, what´s wrong?"

"I´m trying to do my job." Wrestling with a sharp instrument was perilous; she could hurt him, but she wouldn´t. He was weak, but strong enough to prevent her from moving her hand. "You´ve been doing much more than that and you know it." She blushed at the rightness of his words. "You could have left all that stuff on the tray and I'd have done it myself." He wasn´t asking her to back off; he was accusing her, kindly, but he was.

"Ok, I´ll leave those on the tray."

"I like when you do it for me." He spoke softly and sat straighter, although she had told him not to.

"From now on I´ll leave your visitors to do it."

"They don´t do it as good as you." He was fast finding the curve of her waist and keeping her still on the mattress while cleaning the cream off her chin.

The Nurse locked eyes with her patient. Lured, offended, afflicted, all together. "What are you doing?" It was a stupid question; she knew exactly what he was doing and her heart thumped fast against her chest.

"You´re very beautiful, Emma." If her cheeks were already pink, now they were on fire. "I´m glad you broke up with your boyfriend because I´m certain you´d never let me touch you like this if you were with someone." He cupped her face, rejoicing with the warmth underneath his fingers, the softness of her jaw, the length of her neck, the slenderness of her waist. Everything about her was enthralling, even the air she was holding in her throat…

"Stop." She breathed the moment his lips nearly brushed hers. "I´m not that kind of woman."

"I didn´t-"

"And I might lose my job." Her head shook negatively, almost with offended air.

"You put your job in to jeopardy the minute you let me touch you." His voice was low; she would yield if he came closer and he wanted her…

"That´s enough." She jumped off the bed. "I´m not one of your '_babes_'"

Maybe someone had told her about last night´s little scandal, about Terri storming out his bedroom when he asked her to back off. "You couldn´t be." Emma didn´t know whether to feel offended or flattered. "Is this because of my visits…? I´ve seen you looking at them, you don´t like them, except Shannon -"

"This is because I can lose my job." It wasn´t completely a lie, but she would stick to it the as firmly as she could.

"Then I´ll wait until I'm out." He was lying as well, and her lips got caught between her teeth, troubled.

"You should rest. Dr. Stein will let you know how you did in your exams tomorrow."

**A/N: Chapter two from "Night Book club" will be updated in a few days… it´s taking me longer than I thought!**


	6. Chapter 6

**It´s hard portraying Will like this… I like it, tho. Thoughts? **

VI

Being back in her old section wasn´t as pleasant as Emma had expected. People with a broken elbow or a couple of stitches on their leg were whinier and more complainant than people with serious injuries; next to the patients she´d taken care of in the past months, they weren´t even as talkative or cheery as her old ones. She would have supposed it´d be other way round, but no. Intensive care rooms taught her so.

Getting used to the constant noises and people walking from there to here took her more than a week; when work had became so monotonous, she couldn´t tell. But Emma felt bored, unexcited… and she missed the conversations with her favorite patients… with William most of all.

She´d tell her best friend she felt like a hypocrite sometimes, especially when his face assaulted her at night or during the day. A relationship was based on something more than that, than physical attraction, she thought; but every time she´d tried to go out and meet someone it had failed, miserably. Because it was never enough. With time, Emma learned not to get involved in that; it caused her months of celibacy, and moody mornings, but in the end she´d rather spend months of abstinence than months with someone who would avoid her because she´d call him more times than he´d like.

"That´s yours Emma." Sandra called drearily when the 267 light on the wall tinkered several times. "He´s was just brought here."

"Ok." Reluctantly, she walked across the corridor, shunning the great amount of people standing there. "Is everything all-" Not ever did Emma think destiny could be so compelling. "Hi."

It was him. Head shaved, leg casted, nearly no scars on his face.

"Emma…", he was as surprised as she was and sat straighter on the mattress.

"Is everything all right?" She finished the question.

"Yes…" He looked confused, but there was no trace of discomfort on his face. Emma was the one feeling it and showing it. "You-"

"Did Dr. Stein come see you?" She checked the chart hanging on the end of the bed and then the IV. "This seems to be ok."

"No, not yet-" His eyes followed her rushed tracks along the room. "H-how are you?"

"Working."

"I know… Listen-" It was Dr. Stein entering the room and greeting his patient cheerfully, an interruption he wasn´t expecting. "Good morning."

"Good news, Mr. Schuester: you´ll start your physiotherapy sessions." The old man announced examining his last exams results. "Three times a week for now. Here in the Hospital. Emma, can you take him upstairs with Dr. Ming?"

"Uh, yes…" She sensed his hazel eyes on her.

"Just three times a week? I´m ok." He just wanted to go home now; Christmas was close and he was tired. Almost 40 days in Hospital would drive anyone insane.

-XX-

"Emma? You here?"

"Yeah, Stacey." It was the third time her study was interrupted in the past thirty minutes.

"This is Mr. Schuester." She gulped when seeing his wheelchair being pushed towards her. "He said you´d take him upstairs."

"I, uhm-"

"You said you´d help me with the exercises." There it was, that boyish grin Emma knew so well. She hadn´t exactly promised him anything, but Dr. Stein had requested for her extra assistance and she had no other choice but to agree.

Stacey grinned at her; even she caught his efforts to be left alone with her. "Maybe you should go. I´ll tell Mrs. Harris you´re with Dr. Ming."

"Uhm, Ok." She positioned herself behind him and pushed the wheelchair to where the elevator was, wondering what he was up to this time. Cordiality was all she had shown him; no more talks or stopping by his room.

"How´s School?" He asked when silence was all she gave him.

"Fine." He was just asking to ask.

"You know my cousin got into Med School as well. Maybe you could give him a hand with Bacteriology… that was what you were studying when I was in Intensive Care, right?", he tried to conceal his efforts to make her talk to him again and Emma looked at him, slightly stunned and nodded; maybe he had actually paid attention to her. "You passed? I bet you did…"

"I did."

"Only with a 100, didn´t you?" He knew she was smart and that was his way to flatter her.

"A 75… No one got a 100.", she had misgivings about the real intention of his words.

"What was the highest score?"

"75."

He chuckled. "So your 75 it´s like a 100. You´re gonna be a great doctor." He truly believed that. Maybe a too caring doctor, but someone patients would find support in.

Blush tinted her cheeks and she had to resist the urge to punch herself for falling into his charms again. "Someone is gonna come for you when you´re done." Was her short announcement when parking his chair in Dr. Ming´s office.

"I´ll see you later." He hoped he would and waited for a reply that never came.

-XX-

"William, you shouldn't eat any of those before you see Dr. Stein." She meant the chips Shannon had just left on the night table. "This place is a mess." He had gotten a lot of visits lately; typical of common rooms and transitory patients.

"I won´t." After the terrible episode taking place two weeks ago and her suddenly disappearing, he wanted to redeem himself. "I´m sorry, there were a lot of people here this morning."

"Maybe you should talk to them and tell them to take turns to come see you. This is not a bar." She sentenced disposing of the empty glasses on a paper bag. "And I´m not your maid."

"I know you are not!" She was truly upset. "I´m sorry."

She glanced at him and snorted, not sure if she should believe him. "Just talk to them. I´ll take you to Dr. Ming´s office in a second." Before she could turn to face him, Will was already seated on the bed, casted leg hanging in a strange angle, the other one swaying numbly. "Ok, uhm, I´ll get help."

"I can move to the wheelchair-"

"No. You haven´t tried walking. If you fall down-"

"I won´t fall down. You can help me." There it was; that smile and his hand on her back to support himself.

"You don´t understand how injured you are, do you? It´s a miracle you have the chance to walk again." She didn´t mean to come off as such a mother, but the little time she´d met him Emma had learned he was quite childish and wayward. Maybe that´d explain his fooling around attitude.

He desisted on his efforts; she was still upset maybe because he hadn´t apologized properly. "I know you'd probably rather jump out of the highest window of the building than have to take care of me, and I'm sorry."

"I don´t want to jump out, just trade this assignment with a co-worker maybe." She managed to joke, although there was some truth to her words.

"I´m not in any position to demand anything, ok? But don´t. You´re the only one who has actually cared for me while being here." Her chin lowered in embarrassment, surely because what he just said was right. "And I behaved totally inappropriate with you, Emma."

"You did."

"I´m apologizing, I´m sorry, what I said and did was-"

"Out of place."

"Yes. It´ll not happen again." He wondered who would prevent him from speaking so honestly the next time she was around. There was something very accurate in what he had said. She was beautiful; alluring actually, working like a magnet for that part of him that still functioned by looks and appearances, for that little part of him that would imagine how a woman would be in bed even before exchanging a line with her. Emma´s palms were sweating horrendously. "I was hoping… You could trust me again…" He needed her to; trust meant closeness and closeness meant touching, and that was all he could think of when she was around. He would tell her the same exact thing if the situation taking place two weeks ago happened again, he would try to kiss her and more.

-XX-

"I think I need a barber." He said after one long morning of exercising causing her amber eyes to look at him with suspect. "For my head."

"What´s wrong with it?" She didn´t see what the problem was.

"Emma my hair is growing uneven! Look at this!" He pointed some dark spots on his skull and she giggled. It was like music to his ears. "Do you think I could call Shannon to-"

"You have your phone, you don´t have to ask for permission." Was her soft reply; properness was the perfect word to describe his behavior for the past few days and for the first time, Emma felt things would be ok. "But it´s snowing... you´ll get cold…"

"So? It´s not like I can go out and play in the snow." Frustration had been crawling inside him ever since starting rehab; it didn´t seem to be having any effect on him.

"Dr. Ming said you could go out…" She knelt in front of him, taking his leg off the wheel´s stirrups. "Maybe we could go tomorrow…"

_We_…

Both noticed it. He smirked, proud of finally getting to her again; she blushed and stood up, moving the blankets aside so he could get in bed.

-XX-

He didn´t seem to notice how strong he was getting; rolling the wheel chair across the snow wasn´t an easy task, but he performed effortlessly. He´d go from one point of the garden to another, just to return to where Emma was waiting with a radiant smile after the cold wind had cracked the skin on his chin and lips.

"She wouldn´t let me walk yet." He mentioned defeated as they made their way back inside after declining her help to push the chair.

"I-"

"She wouldn't even let me try standing up." His gape lowered with misery. "I´m beginning to think there is something seriously wrong with my leg."

"There´s nothing wrong with your leg, William." That was what doctors said and she had seen the plaques herself. The bones were welding well. His muscles, on the other hand… needed a lot of stimulation. "You just need to be patient-"

"I´ve been… for almost 6 weeks." He sighed overcome with impotence. "Maybe… I need more rehab."

"You´ll get more when Dr. Ming says so." She stated rationally, his willpower was admirable.

"You trust doctors, don´t you?" A nod was her reply. "I trust instinct as well… And Emma, I tell you, I can walk."

"I know." His determination gave her tickles on her neck, she just wanted to encourage him to do it, but it wasn´t a wise thing to do in her position. "And you will".

_I´ll show you I can_.

He´d work out, every night, when there were hardly any employees walking the hallways. He´d lift anything, he´d stretch his good leg and keep it hung from the bed, stimulating its muscles until exhaustion. It´d hurt in the morning and during rehab sessions with Dr. Ming, but everything would add up to his goal.

"Stacey told me she saw you trying to get off the bed." She mentioned casually pushing the wheel chair in the elevator; she sounded slightly upset. "If you break that leg again I don´t know how long is gonna take to heal." The scene seemed familiar; that behavior was the exact same he had adopted while being in Intensive Care; it caused her to spend more time around him and as things were outlining, spending more time with him didn't sound like a good idea. Occasionally and very often as days passed, he would display one of his flirting techniques and make her giggle. She wasn´t supposed to giggle, but Lord, he was really charming and she wished he´d show his real self instead of posing like he did with other women.

"I won´t break-"

"Ok, I won´t even get mad this time." She should get a grip instead of acting like that; he was pushing her buttons and she knew it. "Do what you want."

She positioned the wheel chair near the wall, and herself next to the buttons, as the elevator´s door closed. Her face sank into the book she had been carrying since they had left the room and Will watched her, her back partially to him. She was clearly ignoring him and that was unacceptable. So he gripped the breaks of the wheel and supporting his weight on the armrest, he stood up, legs trembling and slightly hurting. He shouldn´t be trying that without help, but he wanted to show her...

"Emma?" His voice didn´t come from below like she was expecting, rather from above, and close, just behind her ear. And she turned around.

"Wh-" Her eyes widened seeing him on his feet. He was tall; she never thought he´d be that tall. And she never thought he´d be so close. "You…" She scanned him; standing determinate and couldn´t help a smile from lining her lips. "You´re on your feet."

"Yes." He beamed proud and tried to walk, but his legs still needed training; that was why he tripped and held his balance on the handrail where Emma was leaning.

Her own hand landed on his waist to keep him steady. "You shouldn´t do that." She was still mad at him, she remembered.

"I won´t walk soon if my nurse keeps treating me like I'm a baby." Was his sweet mock and her cheeks colored pink.

"I don´t think you´re a baby." _He´s doing it again. And so are you_.

"You don´t?"

"No." Her hand was still on him and Will flexed his arm to shorten the distance amid them. The elevator stopped, he had stopped it and Emma flinched. "What are you doing?" She was trapped between floors and between him and the wall. "Someone might need the elevator." They were in a Hospital, for Christ´s Sake; this couldn´t be more wrong.

"I´ll press the button once you look at me." Her eyes had avoided his since he had moved towards her.

"I can press it myself." Her hand groped behind her, where the panel was; _where the hell is it_?

"No." His nose brushed her and Emma gasped.

"So-someone might n-need the elevator." _Why don´t you tell him to back off instead_? He was making her body sweat, that was why.

"There´s another one." His voice was husky.

"No, stop." This was wrong. He was a ladies´ man, trying to add one more conquest to the many more he had. The elevator moved up again when she managed to find the right key, "You can´t do that."

"You´re gonna tell me you didn´t want me to?" He was certain she did; she was flushing and her eyes were hooded. Just a little, but he noticed them.

"It doesn´t matter what I want. It´s not appropriate, I work here. And don´t try that again; you´re not strong enough."

"I will be soon. And I´ll show you." He´d get strong for her and use it to make her writhe underneath him.

"I don´t need your strength." He knew what she meant; she wanted more than that, more than rolling on the hay with him.

The rest of the short journey to Dr. Ming´s office was muted; he doubted he´d be able to give her what she wanted, using her though… it didn´t seem right. Not with her. But he wanted her, desperately; to fell her close, closer than she had ever been, he wanted her panting, his name rolling off her lips, her body arching beneath his. Maybe it was the long months without touching a woman´s body… Not that he didn´t have any offers; it was him rejecting Terri, after all. Emma was all he wanted, he was fixated on her.

**A/N: See what I just did there? *hides in shame***


	7. Chapter 7

**This is the continuation to chapter VI (as it turned out longer than I thought)… Sorry for splitting this like this, but it´s better this way =)**

**Aggie**

"See? That's what happens when you insist on going outside in this cold!" She handed him a Kleenex box after he sneezed twice. "I´ll call Dr. Stein to come see you… I think you´ll need some extra medicine."

"I´m fine." His voice was slightly twanging. "I can go see Dr. Ming instead"

"You can most definitely not." She sentenced austerely. "If the fever doesn´t go away in an hour you won´t see her in a week."

Emma had decided to put behind the elevator´s episode; she hadn´t mentioned it, not even talked about it with anyone. She could get fired if someone found out, and that was last thing she needed right now. With graduation around the corner, a good recommendation to get a fine position in the Hospital was all that mattered to her.

"I´m wondering something." He spoke softly seeing she wouldn´t yield and her eyes rose to meet his. "What´s your favorite flower"

"What?" Her eyebrows furrowed, receding in suspicion; everything was going so well.

"Yeah… what´s your favorite flower…? I bet it´s the orchid… White orchid."

"Why don´t you tell me something about yourself instead?" She didn´t want to sound so interested, but he´d barely talked about him and Emma was curious. Maybe hearing him speak would persuade her away from and forget about the evident attraction she felt towards him. Maybe she´d discover he was a real fraud and she´d have a reason to stay away from him.

"OK, what do you wanna know?" He transferred the weight of his body to his side, observing her biting her lip.

"I don´t know." She knew; she had been wondering for some time now.

"I hate being an accountant; I… got my degree to please my father. He died a couple of years later and so did my mum." If sympathy was what he was looking for, she didn´t show it. "So I guess it was completely useless… but as I told you, I earn quite a lot of money a year and I have the time to travel. I like New York. I´ve been there… I don´t know… a lot. I like Musical Comedies…" He blushed at his confession, awaking Emma´s attention. "I go there every time there´s one I might like."

"Ok… tell me your favorite… so I´ll know you´re not bluffing." She clarified with a hint of suspicion.

"What man would admit he likes Musical Comedies?" He couldn´t help but laugh; she was probably the first woman he had told that. "Ok… Recently, Wicked. For the past 20 years, Into the Woods."

"Ok… I believe you… No man would know about those." She kept silent waiting for him to continue; it was a bad idea, he wasn´t really a fraud.

"What else…?" He scratched his chin, thoughtfully. "I have no siblings, only a cousin who just moved to Cleveland; he´s probably my best friend, besides Shannon, you know… I don´t get along too well with men." Emma suspected why; it was probably associated to women. "I used to be the captain of the Glee Club during high School."

"Really?" She wasn´t anticipating that. "That explains your taste for Musical Comedies. So you sing?"

"I sang." He corrected with a wink. "And played the Ukulele. We could make a duet sometime." Was his tease and her jaw dropped. "You have a nice voice." He had never told her so.

"I, uhm… " She wouldn´t have sang to him if she had known he was listening. "Thank you." _Ok, it´s time to go, you´re embarrassed and he´s noticed it_. This hadn´t turned out like she had thought.

But he wouldn´t stop now. "I like Natalie Cole as well… You know, me and a couple of friends had a band during School… a blues band. And we played her songs. One of the girls sang… It only lasted a year, but it was fun." She smiled briefly, unfolding a blanket to cover his legs "I live downtown… and I´m single." He had been single his entire life.

"Yeah, I know." The slip revealed the presumption she had about him; after everything he had done and said, he had to be single.

His head immediately turned to her to find her face burning. "What sold me out?"

Words lost their track on their way out her throat. Looking at him was all Emma could do and swallow hard. Nothing more. _All the women visiting you, your late night dates, your flirting_. "It´s in your history." She muddled with everything running through her mind.

"What, it said 'he´s not dating'? I bet it only says single or married…" He mocked in a mow murmur.

"I assumed it-"

"Because what I did and said to you…" Her eyes were elusive and nervous looking around; she really didn´t want to get into that.

"Being single doesn´t mean one doesn´t see other people." Her message was ambiguous, "Some people do that."

"You don´t?"

"Do I look like someone who does that?" She was a one man woman; everyone knew that. But he thought she had had one or two slips across the years.

"Do I?" He certainly had. More than one or two.

"Yes." She was honest when replying to him; why would she lie to him?

"Well, that´s-"

"Emma, there´s an emergency in room 544." Stacey called from the door in a hurry. "Maybe you should come."

"Yes! I, uhm… I should go."

-XX-

Will used to love Christmas. Christmas meant celebration, kissing under the mistletoe, eggnog and parties.

It certainly didn´t imply lying on a bed in Hospital, leg still casted, a cold and loneliness.

There was a light music coming from the larger rooms of the left wing and a note Shannon had given him. She´d left for Texas to spend holidays with her family. Never, among many things, would Will have imagined spending Christmas Eve in such solitude.

The thought of Emma crossed his mind once or twice and wondered if he had crossed her mind too. _Why would she_? She was probably having fun with friends, not thinking about her patients back at work. Maybe he could get something for her… An appreciation present. If he tried enough, he could forget about how bad he wanted to rip her clothes off, and esteem and respect her for everything she had done for him. She had borne enough crap from him…

_Oh no, wait. You couldn´t. You´re lying here, sick and as weak as last week_.

If he hadn´t been by himself and so blue, any idea of uselessness wouldn´t have managed to crawl inside him. He was alone, on Christmas… What kind of person would call himself popular in such depressing panorama? No one was there… Perhaps he had been mistaken all that time. About what was important…

"William?" To his surprise, her Santa hat covered head poked in.

"Emma?" He sat straighter, pretending to feel fine, but not really succeeding. "What are you doing here?"

"I could ask you the same thing… it´s Christmas. Why aren´t you in the Dining Room with everyone else?" She walked into the dark room, the scene was somehow depressing.

"I don´t feel like going." He explained softly, budging in the bed.

"C´mon, it´s Christmas!" She said again while approaching him and noticing the gloominess casting his gaze. "Come… there´s punch and music, a tree… everything is really nice." He watched her merry expression, a yellowish ray of light shined on her crimson hair. "We can have one little dance…"

"I can´t walk well."

"Don´t come with that!" She couldn´t help but smile and he mirrored her expression. "You´ve been trying to walk the minute you were admitted here… Do you really wanna spend Christmas like this?"

"Ok, you´re right."

He wasn´t used to crutches yet; they were uncomfortable and from time to time, the slippery floor would play him a dirty trick.

"Crap…" He cursed while walking clumsily through the hallway, Emma following him closely.

"See, it´s actually very nice…" She encouraged him to take more secure steps. "Wanna sit down?"

"I won´t be able to stand up again." He joked and went to the table near the window. "Thank you for forcing me come here."

"You´re welcome. Do you want some punch?" He nodded looking around, "Ok, let's go get you one glass."

"I thought you´d bring it to me." He beamed at her comment.

"I thought you were strong enough to walk.", she was fast at replying.

"I am." He challenged feeling enthusiastic and she watched him move to the punch bowl and pour himself a drink. "See?" A smile was her support and then they didn´t speak. The music was soothing, the ideal volume taking into consideration where they were. "So, you said we could have a little dance…"

Their gazes met, uneasiness striking her; dancing was just an excuse to make him get off bed. "Uhm, sure, yes…" He carried himself next to a few old dancing couples and a nurse swaying with girl who just had her tonsils removed. "Give me those." She pointed to the crutches and held him by the waist. "Don´t step on me with that cast." He chuckled. "Slow, ok?" Her eyes were watchful as he moved closer and let his hand rest on the curve of her waist; she was careful when wrapping hers around him, the last thing she needed was him falling to the floor. "Good…" But they were barely moving and he wanted nothing more than to spin her around. "Very good…"

"I´m a natural dancer, I know!" He played important, eliciting a bubbly giggle from her. "Thank you, really."

"Merry Christmas."

She had never looked more adorable to him, with her little red hat and sweet smile on her lips… Her lips, good Lord… Where was mistletoe when a man needed it?

"You too." They danced in silence for a while until he realized she was actually there+. "What are you doing here?"

"My parents are abroad." She explained shrugging her shoulders. "I thought I could come check on you… guys…"

"I see…" He looked down at her, just when she diverted her gape, aware of what she had just said and couldn't prevent his hand from sliding tighter around her. "I like your hat."

"Thank you." _Stop it. Stop it right there_. She was batting her eyelashes at him. _Why would you do that_? "Here…" Carefully not completely letting him go, she removed the hat and placed it on his shaved head. "Brain freezing is not a good idea this time of the year."

"Looks ok?"

"Uh-hu…"

-XX-

"Thank you, again" He said for the second time that night, when Emma helped him get to his bedroom.

"You´re welcome. Stay there." She commanded kindly, positioning him next to the bed and getting it ready, moving his belongings aside. "Let me help you with that." She meant his thick robe and untied it without waiting for a response. "Don´t drop the crutches." She was too focused assisting him to notice his deep eyes on her. She only did so when raising her head.

They stared for long; mutedly, immovably.

Emma helped him get inside the covers without a word; none came her way, his gaze left her speechless and there was nothing she could do to look away.

"I still have your hat." He muttered when she tucked him in, "Here…" She bent forward so he could place it on her head. "Santa´s prettier helper" She closed her eyes when his fingers combed her curls.

Perhaps she should pull away, instead of sighing the minute he stroked her jaw. Her eyelids fluttered. "I, uhm…"

"You won´t lose your job, Emma." He whispered stretching further to her, knowing it wasn´t her biggest concern; he was. "And look… it´s mistletoe." He lifted his eyebrows, pointing to the little twig he had stolen from the dining room and now was holding over their heads.

Emma looked up and then back at him to be jerked by his mouth crushing against hers and his hands clasping at her waist.

She should have stopped him; instead, she moved her lips on his slowly only to feel his tongue brushing her flesh. Her breathing was irregular, aroused, feeding him with excitement; their tongues twirled together and he sucked on her bottom lip, eliciting a low moan out of her.

"You´re absolutely breathtaking." He mumbled hotly between kisses, letting his hand fall down her hip, round, eyes-popping hips, and lower to her thigh. He had wanted to do that the minute he had seen how perfectly her skirt clutched her flesh.

She should have stopped him; instead, she cupped his face and pressed herself further into the kiss the moment his hand caressed the skin underneath her skirt. She gasped and he smiled, proud, moving his grin to her gullet, teeth softly scuffing the arc towards her shoulder, "You´re so gorgeous." He worshipped her once more. Good Lord, if only he was on his bed with this woman with him.

"You-" She bit her lip, finding it nearly impossible to speak; he was making her body sweat and quiver and she was at her workplace, with a man who surely wouldn´t call her the next day.

"Tell me to go on and I will…" He invited her seductively seeing her hide her face in the crook of his neck.

"I, uhm, maybe not… Maybe we should stop right here…"

"You sure?" He moved his hand further between her legs and she squeezed them to prevent him for moving.

"Yeah, someone-someone might come in." She breathed erratically and recoiled the moment precise second steps came from the corridor…

Saved by the bell.


	8. Chapter 8

**Hope you´re enjoying the story so far!**

VIII

He had commitment issues; maybe he was someone not to be taken seriously. But Will had never led a woman to believe their relationship was something it wasn´t. That was why, when he saw Emma walking into his bedroom, unusual black mascara on her eyelashes, rare lip-gloss on her mouth, it stirred something inside him. Something he couldn´t quite name, but it intrigued him; he wouldn´t back off, not even regret what happened. But the way she seemed like a teenager in love was somehow worrisome. It engrossed him as well, how would it feel to be loved by someone like her and being able to reciprocate the feeling? She was absolutely adorable…Cheeks burning, a light smile on her face revealed that she was nervous and so was he, but unlike her, his body didn´t betray him.

"Hi." She said softly, not entirely sure how to proceed before him. A kiss would be too much, not to mention a hug; maybe a sweet pad on his shoulder would be fine.

"Hi." He sent her a charming grin and Emma blushed again.

_Stop it, you´re acting like a 15 year old girl_. "Did you sleep well?"

"Yeah." He shifted on the bed and grabbed her hand the minute she placed his breakfast on the tray, in front of him. "I can´t stop thinking about you." He whispered pulling her hand closer, forcing her to bend forward. "Wondering why you stopped me last night when you were panting the way you were panting"

Her eyes were big, taken aback by his boldness, although she knew he did that; he was presumptuous and sexual and she shivered. "I, uhm..."A cough and she had to look down.

"Maybe we should end what we started, don´t you think?"

Gasping and biting her lip was all she could do and he beamed, satisfied he was still in the game, despite his condition. "Maybe we should just-"

"Will!"

Immediately, Emma pulled away, just before a bunch of people entered the room. Women mostly, and a couple of men too. A small blonde girl-woman was leading the crew and approaching the bed with sheer glee.

"Hey guys!" His teeth showed when a huge smile appeared. "What are you doing here?"

"Tomorrow morning, Mister… you´re leaving!" The blonde exclaimed excited and the rest of them clapped joining the celebration. "Aaaaand… your house is ready to receive you and your guests." Her arms wrapped around him and he kissed her cheek causing Emma to unconsciously twitch her mouth. He had almost kissed her and now there was this other woman all over him.

She didn´t like that display of affection, and she liked less his arms hugging her back.

"Really?"

"Yes, sir, you are. And I know you´re still a little paralytic." She teased and he laughed. "But Sean and Tom are coming and installing this awesome console"

"Sounds amazing!"

Emma simply couldn't believe his ears, the whole situation seemed surreal. "Uhm, William, you think it´s a good idea…?" Her voice was low, barely rising above the many others. "You just had an accident." Her eyebrows creased in concern; his lifestyle didn't appear to be a quiet one, rather the opposite, he´d be back to partying, alcohol and women… _Why would you think he´d go to you_? _Because he kissed you? Because he touched you? He probably did that and a lot more with half the women standing here_. _ Why would you think he´ll stop being the man he is_? He wasn´t that kind of man, the kind of man Emma wanted; it was evident he´d never settle down, so what reason did she have to believe he would?

Last night was a mistake.

"Emma, I-"

"If the doctor said he can leave, that´s gotta mean he´s ok." The girl didn´t have to use disdain to send Emma the message she wanted. The ginger was a nurse, what would she know?

_You just left your parents´ house and you´re gonna tell me I don´t know enough_? _You-_

"Ok." She swallowed hard, trying to save herself the humiliation; but he could have said something, she had a point and he knew it. "Just… next time you crush your car, make sure not to kill yourself."

She left the room with confident steps; the hubbub vanished as she walked away.

-XX-

The nurse´s office phone rang four times in the past hour, every call complaining about the noise coming from room 267. Will´s room.

Emma sighed, annoyed; coming across like a strict schoolteacher wasn´t her style, but patients were beginning to get annoyed and this wasn´t a social club.

"I´m sorry, what is going on here?" She walked in the room fuming, looking around at the clutter of people, food and clothes. The blonde girl was seated next to Will, running her fingers through his bristle hair; it made her guts revolve.

"Emma, we-erm…" He straightened on the mattress, gently pushing away the blonde´s hands, "the guys are-"

"No, I don´t care." She didn´t want an explanation, only silence. "This is not a club. These people need to get out. Now."

"Hey, sister, it´s ok, we´re not causing any trouble."

"April…"

"That´s not what other patients say." She didn´t even look at her. "He´ll be discharged tomorrow, so you can all go now and come pick him up in the morning."

"We´re visitors, we have right to come see him." The girl was seriously impolite.

"That right expires the minute you bother other patients. I have to ask you to leave or I´ll call security."

"How could you bear with this woman for six weeks?" April whispered to Will grabbing her purse ready to leave.

Emma´s teeth gnashed and he noticed it.

"See you tomorrow, April."

"Bye, baby." She kissed the corner of his mouth and passed by the nurse´s side along with the rest of the people.

"I´m so so-"

"Don´t." She didn´t need an explanation. She only needed to understand what was wrong with her for actually hoping he´d speak up for her. "I´ll tell Dr. Ming you´ll be in her office in after Dr. Smith removes your cast."

-XX-

His right leg was skinny next to the left one. That was what happened when it had been shattered and immobilized for 6 weeks. Walking with it was hard; harder than he thought and not even the walker he'd been given facilitated the task for him.

"This is crap." He complained moving the apparatus forward to take a step toward it. "I´m supposed to walk with this all day?"

"Yes." Emma stood before him, waiting for him to advance.

"I´m sorry about early this morning." He said seeing her grim expression.

"Ok. Now walk." She was never that impatient. "Support your weight on the walker."

"I am." He meant the apology. "I get it, ok? April has no clue how to behave and she shouldn´t have said what she said."

"OK." Emma dismissed his last comment and urged him to keep moving.

"Why are you so upset? It´s not like she burned the place to the ground-"

"William. I don´t care what she said!" Leaving aside the fact he had kissed her the night before and then this morning had another woman on top of him, she didn´t care really. "I care about you!" He was shocked and she realized how imprudent her words were. "You´re gonna be alone now, ok? Alone. Learning how to deal with a body that is not the same as it was two months ago."

"They can help me-"

"Can they? I haven´t seen any of them come to help you…" She couldn´t stop the words from coming out; it was horrendous. "They seemed too busy planning parties to me. And you know what? You´re gonna be back there, back to partying and someday soon I´m gonna find you here again, splintered and cut." Her eyes were looking in every direction until finally meeting his. "Haven´t you learnt anything? You almost died. And you´re gonna go back to what you used to do…? I just don´t get it."

"Emma…" It worked better than a slap right on his face, the anguish casting her eyes. No one, besides Shannon had looked at him like that; it staggered him, her outburst and attention.

"Don´t look at me like that." She asked sincerely seeing his deep hazel eyes. "Walk, so I can take you back to your room and get your stuff ready." He wouldn´t understand what she meant; he wouldn´t realize that everything she had done for him had been done without any obligation. She had done it because she thought about him. Constantly, no matter how hard she tried not to.

He did what she said, gape intensely on her, on her wrinkled forehead.

"You´re right." He murmured moving forward. "They can´t help me." He watched her sigh, not looking at him. "But you could help me." And then her eyes met his, they were close, close enough for him to smell her lotion; he couldn´t read her expression, but he released the walker and brushed her lips with his fingers. "You could help me, Emma." He used to be straight with women, but for some unknown reason, he couldn't be straight with her. He couldn´t begin to tell her about the desperation with which he wanted to feel her close, not promise her he´d call her every evening to ask her about her day. Saying one or the other, each one of those, would scare her away, and he certainly didn´t want that. He was an imposter.

She recognized it; that look he used to give the women coming to the Hospital for the past weeks, he was giving her that same look; quite different from the look in his eyes moments ago. And Emma recoiled, offended, from his touch.

"I´ve helped you enough."

She wouldn´t give in because it was obvious what´d happen if she did so.

**A/N: This is obviously not over yet. **


	9. Chapter 9

**OK, I know last chapter was sort of angsty… but I plan to redeem myself with this one! Your reviews make my day!**

IX

For two weeks things happened to be uneventful, not one thing was out of the ordinary.

Will was finally sent home under the eyes of the girl who had gratuitously insulted Emma´s intelligence. For a moment it didn´t feel right, only God knew for how long this April was going to watch over him; maybe the 'Will fever' would die out when she began to get bored. Emma wouldn´t, though. But she knew what might happen if she acceded to his request. And being wrapped between the covers with him, as tempting as it sounded, wasn´t something she was willing to do. Not for a one night stand at least.

The yellowish light bulb had been a terrible choice for her night table lamp. It made the book pages look to be a hundred years old and the ink appeared to be fading away; too bad Pharmacology wasn´t.

Emma sighed, exhaustion draining her body. Not even caffeine would keep her awake, not even the anxiety that next week´s exam caused her could keep her eyes from slipping shut.

Her cellphone buzzed announcing a call that she reluctantly took seeing the unknown number on the screen.

"Hello?"

She wasn´t expecting to hear Shannon´s voice on the other line; and she wasn't expecting to hear her say she had no idea who else to call.

-XX-

"I called her, Will." The woman sentenced, resigned, looking at her unshaved friend. "I just don´t know what else to do to make ya get your ass off that couch."

"I´m taking a vacation, that´s all." It wasn´t entirely a lie. Lately and since he had gone back home, he felt somehow miserable. The lack of visits did that to him. How little people cared about him was confirmed by just how few visits he had gotten. Not that he was expecting to have them every day, but a simple phone call would have been nice. "And you called whom?" He hoped his wish had come true. He knew Shannon too well not to have a suspicion on who that might be.

"Your nurse." Was her short answer and Will growled.

Ok, maybe his plan hadn´t been a success; it wasn´t a bad idea, disobeying whatever prescription his doctor and nurse had given him to make Shannon call the only person he would listen to. But now Sandra would come, and he´d have to deal with her. Maybe he should just pay her and thank her for her services. "Why did you do that?" He straightened on his seat, clearly annoyed, trying to put his appearance right as it was actually a mess and didn´t want to hear Sandra´s bugging. "I don´t like Sandra. She´s bad-mannered; I can´t believe Emma said she was actually good."

"I bet she´s trying her best but having ya complaining all the time isn´t much of a help… No wonder Emma didn´t take the job ya offered her. Ya don´t do your exercises, don´t take your medication, don´t go to work-"

"I´m on vacation!", he exclaimed, highly frustrated. Not even him would buy that.

"You´re not." The bell rang and Shannon pointed her finger at him. "Ya better start doing what ya gotta. I´ll call ya once ya come to your senses again." He saw her disappear into the hall; her voice was barely audible. "Hi, I'm so sorry to call you like that. I wouldn´t- He´s in the living room."

The front door shut and he almost choked when Emma walked in. "Hi." Her voice was adorable, as always; her face, though, looked serious. It was Saturday night and the jeans and large sweater she was wearing told him he hadn´t interrupted any important activity.

"Em-Emma, hi…" He was surprised, but he shouldn´t be; that was what he wanted, to make Shannon call her. "What… " He indicated for the redhead to take a seat, but she didn´t. "You came."

"You knew she´d call?" She looked around the place; it wasn´t what she´d have called tidy; there were one or two empty beer cans, a thick blanket on the couch, and a newspaper from last week. The flames in the fire place were extinguishing…

"No." He lied and Emma´s eyes narrowed. "I, I thought she would; I hope she would." He had missed talking to someone like her, someone that sweet and lovely.

"What´s wrong with you?" She dismissed his last confession. "You´re not doing what doctors said…"

"I…" He had no decent excuse. _Schuester you idiot, if you plot something you plot it right or you just don´t_. "I need your help."

"I've helped you enough." She had said that in the past and he had been selfish asking her to share time with him when he had nothing to offer her.

"Stay, please. Let's… let's have a cup of coffee." He really didn´t want to be left in the solitude of his home again. And she had always been the best company he had had.

Emma took a deep breath, aware she was probably making the same mistake she´d made with Carl. This man didn´t need her like she wanted. Still she parked herself in the opposite corner of his couch. "Are you depressed?", Looking at him, she realized how scruffy his appearance was; washed jeans and an old T-shirt dressed his body and he had the shadow of three days growth of beard. "I could call Dr. Fisher, the psychiatrist-"

"I´m not." Gently, he cut her off and moved some inches closer; he shouldn´t, her body language told him it wasn´t a good idea to do so. "I… erm…" Considering his next words, he decided to finally come clean with someone. "You were right… about what you said… that no one would take care of me or help me."

She gulped, feeling sorry for him, sorry he hadn´t listen to her weeks ago. "I, uhm, William you just can´t call me because you´re alone… I'm not a joker you can use when you´ve run out of cards."

"I know."

But he had and Emma didn´t know whether to feel affronted or spirited because he had thought about her.

"You have to move on and rebuild your life." She advised standing up, ready to leave.

"Help me." He asked selfishly.

"I´ve helped you enough." Turning down asked for aid was the most painful thing she had ever done; but she knew what would happen if she stayed.

"Yes, you said that… You´re still here, though." He sent her one of the old boyish grins that would make her giggle; this time she rolled her eyes and sighed irritated at the light of the old Will. He almost had her for a moment.

All of a sudden, she was wounded up. "This is one of your plans, isn´t it?" _Why_ _didn´t you see this coming? This is what he does! He calls you, you agree, he smiles, you giggle and then you end up with his hands all over you_. She wanted more than that and wouldn´t get it from a man like him.

"Emma, wait-" He noticed it, the dark circles under her eyes, when the glow from the poor fireplace casted her face; she looked like hadn't slept in days.

"I happen to have a life…" She didn´t look like she did. Maybe she should have changed clothes before driving her way there. "I don´t know why I'm even here" She whispered that last part but Will heard her, clearly.

"I know you Emma, and I know why you´ve came." It was his turn to hastily get on his feet. It was hard, though, his legs still needed training and the lack of exercise made them wobble. The cane was a real drag.

"You don´t know me, Will."

"I know you look away when you´re embarrassed or upset; I know that you give me a crossed smile when you want to reprimand me but find something amusing." He had a way with observation, but Emma wasn´t naïve.

"That doesn´t mean you know me. That means you´ve watched me."

"I have. But I know you."

"You don´t even know when my birthday is or if I have any siblings…!" For some reason, she couldn´t help to find his words slightly amusing. "You don´t even know what School I go to. You don´t know me…". Then, sadness couldn´t be concealed.

"I could."

"No. I'm just here because Shannon called me."

"That´s the only reason?" She hadn´t even moved to the Hall where the exit was and Will beamed. "You want to be with me." She didn´t have to say anything to confirm his statement, only elude his intense stare. "I want to be with you too."

"No, you just want to fuck with me." His silence was all she needed and Emma looked down again. "And I won´t be your booty call."

"I miss you." He delivered desperate; if she was gone, she´d be gone for good. And maybe Will didn´t want that. "Stay, Emma." Effortlessly, he moved her curls off her face and let his fingers trace her jaw line.

She didn´t shy away when his mouth touched hers after she only gave him silence. Noses brushing, her eyes enlarged and Will captured her lips once more.

Pushing her common sense aside, Emma let Will flush his body against hers. This couldn´t possibly end well, but Jesus, she had been thinking about how good it´d feel to be held like this. His hands were everywhere, underneath her cardigan; her blouse wrinkled under his hands, his mouth moving deliciously across her neck, sucking the spot where it became cleavage.

In a rash of need and possession, tangled as they were, they made their way to the bedroom and tripped over his neatly made bed together; maybe faster than she should have, Emma removed his shirt and her own, tossing them aside.

"I always imagined what it´d be like ripping your nurse uniform instead of your jeans." Was his lustful joke undoing its silvery buttons; his hand lingered on her belly for a few moments before moving up to feel the lace of her bra.

_This is not a good id-_ She gasped the minute he rocked his denim dressed hips between her legs and anchored herself onto him. This could end very badly, indeed; as bad as it ended last time; he and Carl had the same kind of interest in her.

"You´re so hot, Emma." His voice was hoarse against her mouth whilst pulling her underwear down her legs and doing the same with his. "God, so hot…" Emma purred meekly when he completed her and hotly after each fiery, blood blazing, almost raw thrust. He scooped her ass and pressed himself deeper inside her, every time filling her more than before. It was more amazing than his imagination had proved and she moaned low before and after he´d rub their chests together. Every contour and line contrasting together, the pressure was body melting.

She felt herself sizzling, her lower abdomen was on fire, he was making her throb in such way she couldn´t help but to arch beneath him.

"E-easy… Take it-take it easy." Was her low advice when he growled burying his face in her neck; he was still weak and his rasping cries were wet against her skin. He rumbled again, and coursed under his breath the moment the lack of exercise began paying back. "Are you ok?" She cupped his face in her hands, staring at him intensely; his furrowed forehead told her the answer and Emma rolled them over, straddling his hips. "Is this better?" He nodded, watching her finding a comfortable position that would suit them both, before leaning down to kiss him softly. "Let me know if this is ok… I… I don´t want to hurt you." Another kiss and Emma lowered herself on him, slow, not letting her entire weight rest on him.

His chest engorged under the spell of her eyes and the reassurance of her smile. "O-ok."

"Ok?" She was sensitive and his response was bucking up in her; she panted and rocked forward. "Ok…"

"Emma…" The rhythm she caught was making his tummy tickle; he wanted more of her, harder, faster; he wanted noises, and cries of pleasure. But the minute she locked eyes with him, Will just knew she´d prolong this moment as long as she could. And he was deeply thankful for it.

She bent forward, flanking his head with her elbows. "You ok?" The sultry breathes coming out of her parting mouth signified the pleasure building inside her. "I-I d-don´t wanna hurt you." She caressed the skin of his shaved skull and brushed the scar behind it, leaving smooth kisses along his sweaty brow.

"I´m fine." He kissed her hard, pushing his tongue inside her mouth to battle with hers, a new sensation stirring inside him; how far could her concern go? Her eyes had never been darker when he looked at her, the red curls fell across her cheeks, which he combed and held up against her head. _Her eyes, good Lord…_ It was kindness and attention. His arms circled her waist and travelled down to wrap the smooth flesh of her cheeks.

Her moan jumbled with his growl when Will pushed up the minute she rotated on him. Her eyes never left his and Emma blushed; sweat and heat on her chest. "I, _ugh_-"

"I know." He guided her hips on his, burying his fingers in her downy skin; she´d come, in his arms.

"Will-" Emma stared at him, lips parted, thighs clutching his lower half, her insides tightened and he felt himself close to release; a long, lingering, raspy mew leaving her throat was the proof of her orgasm as she convulsed on top of him.

He watched her come undone, swiveling his throbbing need inside her trembling body. For a moment, their stare broke and Will shuddered and contract inside her with a growl that echoed against her mouth.

-XX-

She had fallen asleep next to him, right after they were done; she collapsed by his side and let herself get carried by drowsiness and exhaustion.

Will watched her hand resting placidly on his chest and smiled satisfied. This woman was pure magnificence... Her curls, ginger and bright, standing out against the whiteness of the sheets gave her the appearance of an angel. An angel who just had sex.

Then it hit him.

She was still in bed with him. It was morning and she was still with him. It wasn´t annoyance not discomfort either… uneasiness, perhaps? The result of the new, of the unexpected, the unforeseen.

He shifted on the mattress, not wanting to wake her up, but Emma was a light sleeper and slid her hand to the other side of his ribcage; a brush on his naked thigh, a sigh and her cheek closer to his shoulder. A morning cuddle. The unknown.

"Hi." Was her raspy greeting, eyes still closed.

"Hi." It felt like his first rodeo. It was his first sleep over, though. And Will had no idea how to handle that, mainly because she wasn´t like other women he had slept with and even if she was, she sure deserved better.

The wind blew wildly outside, the windows vibrated and Emma moved closer. "I´m cold." Was her shy explanation eliciting a light chuckle off him.

"You are." Her skin was frosty and he welcomed her in his arms; she was really skinny, that was probably the reason. Maybe he should bring the covers over them, instead of ogling at her naked legs.

Emma noticed his awkwardness, putting up a front so he wouldn't upset her_. Why did you expect him to wake you up with a kiss_? Evidently he had never done this before, and if he had, he probably wanted to get her off his bed right away. _Weird he isn´t freaking out already_… Was her sorrowed thought.

"Maybe I should go…" She looked around for her clothes, already feeling blue. She just knew he wouldn´t call her back.

"Why don´t we have breakfast first?" _Great job, now she feels like a used rag_.

"You don´t have to." His efforts to make her feel comfortable were obvious. "Really, it´s ok," it wasn´t. At all. "I imagine you must be, uh, tired and I have to study."

"You´re a terrible liar." His fingers closed around her wrist when she sat up. "When is the exam?"

"Next Friday." She attempted to read his expression; but he was smiling and Emma just didn´t understand.

"I´ll get you dinner tonight." Why he said that, Will never knew. Probably because she was the sweetest woman who ever spoken to him and because she looked so stressed out.

"Thank you." An intense blush tinted her cheeks when the covers slipped down her chest and she tussled with her only free hand to keep them up. No one bothered to place them back where they were. "I should go."

-XX-

"I didn't think you would call." The clock had just announced seven and the moment Emma stepped inside her living she realized Will hadn´t asked for her address. _Good trick_.

"Shannon had your number." He explained and asked then. "You have so little faith in me?"

"Yes." She was brutally honest and Will swallowed, grasping the unintentional dismay in her voice.

Ever since the accident, Will had became sloppier. Usually he´d pay attention to what he said or what he did. He´d listen to whatever thing a client or a friend would say. He´d listen to a woman speak, for Christ´s Sake. That was how he´d get into their pants. "I´m sorry you don´t trust me."

"Can we talk when you come?" There were certain things she needed to tell him. And it was better to do so facing him. "If you come…"

"I will." He reassured her.

"7889, Churchill St. Apartment 6"

XX

"You don´t trust me". The dirty dishes rested on the dining table, along with two empty glasses of wine and a second bottle recently opened.

"Not entirely…"

"But you slept with me."

"Yes." She sipped the drink and looked away. Maybe she shouldn´t have let him touch her like that. Maybe she shouldn´t have let him watch her come undone.

"Why would you if you don´t trust me?" He was being playful, yet accusing, softly kicking her leg under the table. "You know, friends trust each other."

"We´re not friends, actually…" There was a pattern of resignation in her voice, "And friends don´t fuck, and supposing they do I don´t believe in that 'friends with benefits' thing." She shook her head, dismissing the assumption they were actually friends and wherever crazy idea he could have about hook ups.

"And you don´t sleep with people you don´t have a relationship with." He trailed with tact, trying to understand what she was implying.

Another shake of head, "I don´t."

"But you slept with me…" He sentenced once more and her face matched her hair.

"And what does that tell you?" She was never this forward, but he needed to be honest and so did she.

Only once Will had been confronted by a woman, not in Emma´s gentle terms, but the essence was the same. He had told her to stop stalking him and disappeared out of her life. He was 23 at that time and he had never been meaner to a woman before.

"Nothing…" She answered the question for him when he gave her silence. "I know you don´t do this… I´m actually surprised to see you here…" Bitterness mixed with amusement. _You´ll never learn, Emma_. This was the fourth man with commitment issues she had 'dated'.

"I´m sorry… I went off for a moment." He shook his head, pushing Sarah´s memory away, and weakly followed her when she disappeared inside the kitchen, "I just don´t want to promise you something I don´t know if I can do."

"I´m not asking for that… I´m asking you to be honest with me." If he wouldn´t call her again, Emma needed to know it, at least to prepare herself for deception. "I don´t want you to say you´ll call me if you won´t only to make me feel ok-"

"I don´t want to do that either. But… I just don´t want to see you sad." His face was the epitome of bluntness, "I own you that much."

"No, you don´t. I don't want you to pay me back for what I've done for you. It was my job." He just didn´t get it and her lips pursed.

"You did more than your job, Emma." He moved closer, and placed a strand of hair behind her ear, watching her do the dishes. "And I´ll always be grateful for that." He would.

"I don´t want your gratitude, Will."

"What if I call you? Tomorrow? What if we meet and spend time together?" It was startling, but Will couldn´t keep himself away from her. Her tending nourished his most empty hollows. "What if I take you out on a date?"

"A-are you asking me out?" The bubbles dripped of her glove covered hands when she turned around to look at him, eyes widened.

Maybe she had misheard.


	10. Chapter 10

**An unusual long chapter… Hope you like it despite things might happen a little too fast! **

**Reviews are lovely!**

**Aggie**

X

"Thank you… I had a lovely time." His car parked outside her door the next Saturday Night.

"Thanks for coming." Not for one single moment, had she looked uncomfortable; rather the opposite and he enjoyed seeing her smile the entire evening, "And congratulations on your Exam."

Her mouth curved in a satisfied grin, "Thank you… And, uhm, thanks for driving me home." She toyed with her keys for a moment, wondering if it´d be inappropriate to ask him in, although it wasn´t the first time he´d spend the night in her place, it was the first time Emma invited a man inside on their first date. Finally, she made up her mind. "Would you like to have a drin-?"

"Yes."

"Ok." She hid a grin and he beamed at her, "I´ve never been in that Restaurant before."

"My parents used to take me when I was a kid." He explained letting her in first, "I go with Shannon, most of all."

"How is she?" The woman seemed to be his only decent friend.

"Fine… she says 'hi' by the way…" Will let himself fall in the couch, his cane slipped to the floor, but he didn't even bother to pick it up; the little walk they had taken from his car had left his legs sort of numb, "Sorry, I´m a little tired, that´s all."

"Have you taken your medication?" She sat next to him examining his body and he nodded, "Good."

"You´re adorable." His compliment brought color to her cheeks and his lips brushed hers for the slightest moment, "I´m starting rehab in a gym next week."

"Good!" She exclaimed again, this time more excited. "Are you going back to work soon?"

"Yes." He lied shunning her eyes when the question left her mouth; work seemed so discouraging right now.

"Go back when you´re ready." She could read him like an open book, "Soda or something hot?"

"I thought you invited me for a drink…" Was his chuckle.

"Those are drinks. You´re driving, and you´re taking meds." Emma cocked an eyebrow at him, a knowing smile on her lips, "So what is it gonna be?"

"Something hot." His gaze became intense, making her sigh.

_Gosh, he´s so persuasive_.

"Like-like what?" His eyebrows raised invitingly and she sent him a crossed side smile before leaning to kiss him.

"Yeah, that was exactly what I had in mind…" Was his breathe against her mouth when she gently pulled away to look at him. The back of the couch was the perfect support for her arms while standing in front of him.

"Will you ever let your hair grow?" Her hand stroked his almost shaved skull, the bristles tickled her palms and she repeated the same movement; he closed his eyes in beautiful content. He made her heart beat so fast.

"It´s taking long, isn´t it?" Her mouth brushed his temple and his palms did the same on her waist, "I miss my curls."

"You have curls?" The warm flesh of his neck muffled her voice. It was foreign, to have the yen of feeling him close.

"Yes… lots of."

"I like curls…" his touch made her breathing come out slightly labored, his fingers moved slow and sensual on the contour of her breasts, "Very much."

Then she was sitting on him, melting under his patting; his sweater and her cardigan soon becoming a bother for both, the heat eradiating their bodies was evident. This time there was barely any talking; he wouldn´t tell her about his lustful desires, Emma knew them, and gasped when he slid her aside to jam her against the corner of the couch. "Easy…", like a week ago, her voice was uneven when he positioned himself between her legs, desperate to feel her warm surrounding him, "You´re still, uhm- _oh God_", he rubbed their bodies with zeal, eliciting a hum off her, her hips involuntarily rising up in search of friction.

He ground on her, and she ground up with the same intensity, eyes firmly locked with hers. She did that to him, she got him desperate and obsessed until she´d smile at him and he´d hold back a little, realizing she wasn´t a piece of meat. She was so much more than that…

"Slow down." She begged beneath him and every time they were together; mainly because he was still weak and because the moment never seemed long enough for her. He´d spend the night, but he´d leave in the morning; even though after tonight, Emma discovered she wanted him with her the whole day.

"Emma-", he tried to complain, perhaps being selfish thinking there was always a reason to suspend the pleasure building inside him, but not really seeing what she was doing every time he pushed into her.

"Please, slow down, Will." She kissed him passionately, her tongue sweeping his palate, her head bobbing, her body waving in perfect cadence, smashing their hips together.

"I´m fine." The slickness around him made Will moan and buried his body in her.

"I k-know…", she was panting, maniacally, and kept him steady inside her, slightly rotating her hips, "Let me make you feel good."

"Emma, fuck." His course muddle with her pants, and he felt her getting tighter.

"Ugh, Will…", she writhed and arched under the torture of his fingers on her nipples, "P-please slow down… _Iwannamakeyoufeelgood_", she breathed out in a rush of ecstasy and delirium.

"Don´t you see you are?" He couldn´t hold it any longer and grasping her hands above her head, pumped inside her.

She cried, loud, looking at him in desperate frenzy; "I-I´m close, Will. _Goshi´msoclose_"

He could sense himself tensing inside her the minute her muscles began to clamp around him; their voices rebounded on her living room walls and Emma purred his name, he following her in climax.

Panting was all they could hear, excited chests in delicate contact as both came down their height and her mouth stamped on his. "Do you have to go?"

"No."

-XX-

Lying in bed, contemplating the white ceiling, Emma talked with herself.

She had been mistaken about Will; evidently. Not one single day, since their Saturday night date, had he flown. Her busy schedule, School and work plus late night study nights kept her diligent most part of the week; but his weekends get togethers never failed.

He´d call her to watch a movie (most of the times, Musical Comedies which he had seen plenty of times, but wanted her to love as much as he did) or she´d invited him for a walk around the Park. There was no harm in extra exercising, she´d always tell him and he´d growl playfully and talk about feeling like going out of town for a while.

Perhaps she should be wiser, Emma told herself sensibly, and give him some space instead of doing what she was doing. Not two months had elapsed and she already felt like the precious time they spent together wasn´t enough. He was changed; more mature, willing to become a different man from the one who woke up in the Hospital 15 weeks ago.

Perhaps she shouldn´t run behind him all the time; scaring him away was the last thing on her mind, but God, she was falling for him. A smile on her lips and she hugged her pillow; finally after all this time, things seemed to finally fall together in one piece.

Perhaps, things could get better any time soon.

-XX-

"Knock, knock!" Her girly grin pocked inside Will´s office, "Hi!"

"Em?" The nickname he´d came up with tasted sugary on his lips, "what are you doing here?" His desk was a real mess, scrambled with files and old notes piling on it for the last two weeks, the moment he had decided to come back to work, permanently.

"Can I come in?" Was her timid question seeing a man looking at her with a curious expression.

"Ye-yeah… Sure." For a moment, his eyes flew to Puck, his partner, to his unbelieving smile, "Excuse me for a second."

"Are you busy?" She glanced at the man when Will walked to her and placed a chaste kiss on her lips.

"Not at all. That´s Puck. Puck!" The man stood up and shook her hand when Will made the introductions, "I´ll meet you in your office in a minute." The man left, giving them some privacy, "What are you doing here?" He was very surprised to see her there, he never expected to see her in his workplace; for a flash he sensed her feeling like an intruder, especially under the eyes of Puck.

"I thought, uhm, I could bring you some chicken… I have a free period before my next class."

"Oh, Em.. Thank you… but I already ate." It was already 2pm; the office was chaos and he really needed to get back to work, "I´m sorry"

"Don´t be. I should´ve called you; Sorry for barging in like this…", _You idiot! He´s receptive to this kind of invasion and you came with this great idea…_

"It´s ok…" Her troubled eyes drew a smile to his lips; she was always so adorable, "I´ll tell you what, I´ll call you tonight after School?"

"I have to study tonight." She sent him an apologetic look; meeting him was way better than burying her face in a Prevention Manual, "We could talk tomorrow?"

"We could." She pressed one last kiss on the corner of his mouth, turned around and left.

"Wow, you really have her hooked up, haven´t you?" Was Puck's mockery the moment he set a foot in his office, "She´s hot. Where did you meet her?" His brow creased at his tacky comment; he really didn´t like hearing other men talking about Emma like that. She wasn´t just another woman. "First woman who ever comes here. She´s either a stalker or you´re serious with her. And as much as I know you, I'd go with number one."

"We´re dating."

"No shit!", his laugh was an uproar, "For how long?"

"Almost three months."

"And she´s already bringing you lunch?" His eyebrows rose suggestively, "You really have her hooked up on you, uh? I give you one month. Tops."

"I´m surprised how little faith people have in me." Will put some papers in order, ready to end the conversation. It was making him seriously uncomfortable. Maybe Puck was right. Maybe she was too attached to him and he had no idea how to handle that. Or even if he could… The more he thought about it, the more frightened it got him.

"It´s not like you have the best record, Will."

-XX-

It wouldn´t worried him if he didn´t over think the whole business.

It wouldn´t scared him if he eluded some random comment Emma made about moving forward.

It wouldn´t make him feel unworthy if she wasn´t that caring towards him all the time.

"Are you ok?" The steam in his bathroom made her voice low and relaxed, "You look a little off."

"I´m just thinking."

"About?" Her head leaned on the bathtub, watching him brush his teeth. Their gazes linked through the mirror and she smiled at him, sweetly.

"You´re beautiful." his flattery made her eyelashes bat, "I was thinking about you."

"Liar." She splashed a little of water to his feet and he laughed. "Really, what were you thinking about?"

_You and me_. "About feeling like I want to go to New York for a weekend."

"Oh…" Maybe he´d ask her to go with him. _That´d be so amazing…_

"But I don´t know yet…"

"What´s holding you back?" She asked casually, trying not to look disheartened. She had been thinking about asking him something, but now it didn´t feel like a good idea.

"Your exams." Emma looked up him, skeptically, "I don´t want you to see you studying when we should be having fun."

"Will… ", she folded her hands on the edge of the tub, resting her chin there to give him the most beautiful smile he´d ever seen curving her lips, "As the matter of fact I wanted to ask you something myself."

"What is that?" He came to sit on the white porcelain border, and run his fingers through her wet curls.

"Would you rather go to the coast or to the mountains?" He was curious before her words, "I have a favor to claim."

"Mountains. The weather´s still cold." He winked and she bit her lip.

-XX-

He didn´t even realize she was near when his voice rose softly above the music.

_Unforgettable that´s what you are.__  
__Unforgettable though near or far.__  
__Like a song of love that clings to me__  
__how the thought of you does things to me__  
__never before has someone been more_

A light cough to call his attention and Will turned around, cheeks coloring pink, an embarrassed look on his face. "Don´t stop." She spoke in a murmur, walking towards him and taking his hand when the melody announced the upcoming lyrics.

_Unforgettable in every way__  
__and forever more __  
__that´s how you'll stay __  
__that´s why darling it's incredible__  
__that someone so unforgettable__  
__thinks that I am unforgettable too_

His arms embraced and spun her around the kitchen, eliciting a light giggle off her.

She watched him; the feeling in his voice, the creased brow in concentration, the fire in his eyes. He was so passionate and her chest swelled with emotion. How can anybody not love this man?

_No never before__  
__Has someone been more__Unforgettable __  
__in every way and forever more __  
__that´s how you'll stay__  
__that´s why darling its incredible__  
__that someone so unforgettable__  
__thinks that I am unforgettable too_

"I never sung to anyone before." His admittance was low on the shell of her ear.

"You should do it more often… You have a beautiful voice", her palms cupped his face and Emma kissed him smoothly on the lips, "You´re so… intense when you sing", he blushed once more and shook his head, "You are, Will… Very."

"Don´t tell anyone", he chuckled and pulled her closer, "I don´t sing."

"Yeah, you sang." She mocked and locked eyes with him, "Please don´t stop doing it. Sing again. You should have never stopped."

"I, erm… I´m not that good, Em."

"I just heard you… you are." She was always encouraging, uplifting, towards him, because sometimes, he looked like he needed those kinds of words, "Don´t argue me", he laughed, "Sing again. Please…? And again, later. And again…"

"You´re gonna beg to me shut up once I start." He hummed on her lips and Emma shook her head.

She could listen to his voice forever; she could watch the bright grin of fulfillment casting his features every day; she could see him feel complete the rest of her life. "Never."

"Thank God the cabin is far from town… I wouldn´t like to have an angry horde banging on our door."

-XX-

A weekend alone sheltered in a picturesque cottage 200 miles away was the best Emma could possibly ask. Seeing him rest so placidly on the rocking chair, a modest fire warming his body up, brought bright prospects to her.

He was so changed, so darling; he could make her body tingle with just a simple smile, he could fade all her worries away only by taking her hand and stroking her cheek and he could be so much more if he wanted. He could be anything he wanted… Hers. And hers only.

"What are you doing next year?" His question snatched her back to reality.

"Uhm?" Her deep-in-thought expression made him curious.

"Yeah, after School…" The book he was reading was now closed on his lap, his attention was completely hers.

"I want to get my PhD. Psychiatry and in the meantime, get a vacancy at a Hospital. You?"

"The same thing I´m doing now."

"I have something for you", she said quietly, letting her hand submerge in her huge purse, "I´d like you to think about it."

"What is that?"

"This", she hand held a brochure before his face, "Lyric Choir and Contemporary Performance. They are looking for singers, Will."

"Erm… Emma-"

"Think about it", she slid the little pamphlet in his hand before kissing him softly, "Will, you have the most gorgeous voice… "

"I haven´t sang in 15 years. Or more."

"But I heard you sing, and you do it beautifully. Why did you give up anyway?"

"I wasn´t good enough."

"Nonsense! You are", was her encouragement, wrapping her arms around his neck, "Who told you that silly thing?"

"My dad." His gape dropped to the floor, ashamed, which Emma made sure to raise back up, by grasping his chin.

"That´s ridiculous."

"Em, really you don´t have to-"

"I want you to be the best you can be. And you´re the best singer I´ve heard. If you don´t want to try it because you don´t like it anymore, it´s ok. But Will, I´ve seen you… you love singing; I never saw you doing something so passionately. If you still love it, try it."

"I don´t know…"

"That´s enough… at least you´ll think about it?"

"Yes."

"That´s my boy." A light kiss on his lips and Will smiled, touched by her obliging spirit. She was actually the only one with a little faith in him. "Don´t stop doing what you love because someone, even if that´s your father, tells you you´re not good enough. And don´t settle down with accountancy just because it gives you money. That´s not all that-"

"Matters. I know."

"Good." Another peck and his hold tightened around her, "Oh, getting a little snuggly?"

"Not precisely", was his seductive reply, walking her back the bedroom and landing heavily on the mattress, "You´re an extraordinary woman, Emma", he told her looking straight into her amber eyes, "You really are."

"Will… I… Thank you. I, uhm-", _I love you_, "I´m glad I'm here with you."

-XX-

"Can I tell you something?" Her slim form molded his slowly-built one. The rain poured down the window while their bodies laid unperturbed in the afterglow. She was always so lovely, so thoughtful about his needs, this time he wanted to make her head go insane. Her breathing felt like summer breeze against his skin, her chest was still waving after her third orgasm. He had made her his twice, placidly in the comfort of the couch and then he had fucked her senselessly against the bathroom door to end both wrapped in bed after memorizing her body with his mouth. And Emma sighed with sheer happiness.

"Sure." He adored tracing circles on her warm back after sex.

"Sometimes I can´t believe you´re alive", her hand stroked his cheek and her lips tickled his jaw, "Have you ever gone to see your car?" She asked timidly.

"No."

"Do you want to?"

"I don´t know." He was candid and shuddered slightly; her hold tightened around him.

"Maybe you should, when you´re ready."

"Why?" He really didn´t see the point.

"´Cause you´ll appreciate life better after seeing where you almost died"; _maybe someday you´ll realize I'm here and you´ll love me_. She wouldn´t dare to tell him yet. It was so soon. And she was so aware of it. "You have an angel watching your back, Will. Really."

"She watched my back when I was hospitalized", his words limbered her up; his hands wondered down her body and Emma sighed, moved, "I could never thank you enough."

"I want to stay with you." Words fell off her lips with ease. She was so in love with him.

"Ok". It stung. He didn´t even know why, but it did.


	11. Chapter 11

XI

Acid.

Up and down the pit of his stomach.

The break of day clarity strained through the barely closed blinds and Will growled; the taste of his mouth was disgusting, the cold dread breaking on his back announced the seriousness of last night´s episode.

The bartender´s hands were hot and clammy on his face; her lips, stiff and rough against his; her voice, tinted with arousal and impulsiveness on the shell of his ear. And Will was dizzy, already detesting himself for letting this strange woman rest her hands on him so disgustingly. He was intoxicated, looking for something to make him forget about Emma´s sorrowed expression.

She had been candid, like always, a quality he admired the most in her, but maybe her words had rashly left her mouth; and when she realized, it was too late; he was already tempted to walk out the door and punch himself for staring at her dumbfounded and talking incoherencies.

_I´m so glad Estelle is having twins… I want kids, some day. Do you, Will_? _Curly, cute kids_?

He almost fainted.

And she almost started crying.

It wasn´t the first time she had said something like that. He couldn´t blame her, actually. He had imagined it too, once or twice, what it would be like… Being with her. For good. The scene was always bright and joyful. And romantic. So intimate. The sensation of seeing each new day with the same person brought goose bump on his skin. Good goose bumps. It was mysterious and yearned; it made him begin to think, it made his heart swell.

It got him thinking about tomorrow as well. About offering.

But now… now he was lost.

Was he capable? Was he enough for her? Could he offer Emma the kind of security, the kind of commitment, she was looking for?

After last night, he doubted it.

What if he had done something else; something more than kissing this strange woman? Good Lord, what kind of man was he?

What if he was living with Emma? What if they were married and he cheated on her? What if they had a family and he ruined it because of one drunken night and a woman with flamy hair as well? He was one sick man… She didn't deserve that craziness; that flux. She ought to have so much more than him. He could try, but then what? He´d work his hardest for her, he´d do whatever she wanted for what? To ruin it the minute she turned around?

His head was still throbbing after puking up all the booze he had the night before. One missed call and two texts shone on his phone; he didn´t have to read them to know who was sending them.

-XX-

"I, uhm, I've been trying to call you." She moved aside to let him in. She was hesitant, he could tell. They had never had a fall out; they never had a reason. She was always happy to work out whatever problem they might have, he was always happy to comply with her little quirks.

Last night, though… It hadn´t worked out that way. He had only left, after the hurt in her eyes had pierced his heart.

"I didn´t feel ok." He replied walking by her side. It was true as the matter of fact. He had been throwing up since he had woken up.

"Feel better now?" The door closed and she stood there, unsure of what to do, unsure why he didn´t kiss her.

"Yeah". _Please be angry with me. Hate me_.

"Will… about yesterday…" She trailed softly, regretting over-reacting. Maybe she was taking things too far with him. _How could you even ask him if he wanted kids? He´s only just started dating_! "I need to tell you-"

"I need to tell you something too." He stopped her kindly; except he knew what would happen next. Nothing would feel like kind.

"I hated seeing you so upset…" Timidly, she occupied a spot next to him, on the couch; she could be subtle and come clean. They could try; she could make him so happy, "I don´t mean to upset you by saying things like that… And I know you didn´t mean to upset me-"

"I can´t give you what you want, Emma." The words came out in a rush before he was able to think about interrupting her. He couldn´t really, deceiving her would be intolerable and Will knew he would, eventually.

The silence was oppressive, her breathing sharp. "W-what do you mean?"

"Last night, Emma… what happened last night… I just can´t be that man for you. I can´t give you those things."

"Is- Is this because of what I said? About babies?" The room was suddenly hot, although she felt her body freezing.

"This is because of the look on your face the minute I almost throw up in your living room. So hurt… disappointed. I can´t give you what you want and if we´re together, that´s the way you´ll look for the rest of your life." He certainly couldn´t do that to her.

"I never asked anything of you…" It was true; she was so selfless, "What are you talking about?"

"You didn´t have to ask, Em… I know what you want… what you´ve always wanted. I can´t give you those things….my last name, or a house, or a family. I can´t ask you to marry me." He finally sentenced and her lips puckered.

"Will, why are you telling me all this?" She just knew what was next. Not believing his ears, she watched him move to sit on the coffee table, right in front of her.

"I´m not that man, Emma. I'm not the one."

"Why are you telling me this? Why now?" She blubbered, her face hot and her insides stinging. Nothing made sense.

"I'm not the one, Emma." Was his reiteration.

"Stop saying that!", he had really no idea how she felt about him, "And tell me why!"

"I-I, erm, I kissed another woman". She practically went green. He really couldn´t see her face contorting like that without hating himself even more. Not a sound left her mouth, only tears kept falling down her cheeks. "That´s why I´m can´t give you-"

"You-"

Like if that would make her feel better, words spilled forth, "Nothing else happened, I swear." _How can you be so calm when your soul is tearing apart_?

"So, are you telling me this to wash your guilt away?" Slowly color returned to her face. White, pink and then furious red. _You asshole. You fucking asshole_.

_No. Because you still think I´m good enough for you. And I´m not. No one who´d do something like this to you deserves you_. "I don´t want to lie to you."

"You´ve lying to me the minute you ask me out! I thought we were ok…", suddenly every moment spend together in the last months felt like a complete lie; every little gesture, every word and touch, "I thought you cared, that we were going somewhere."

"I care! That´s why I'm telling you this. I don´t want to disappoint you in the future, that´s all. You´re too good for me, Emma."

"_That´s all_?" Now she was fuming, not only hurt. "You knew where you were going with me and you tell me 'that´s all'?" He said noting, opportunity she took to continue; there was a light black mascara trace going down her cheeks, "So you´re basically saying I'm too good for you? What kind of pathetic excuse is that?"

"It´s-"

"So you´ll just walk away… Just like you did with singing… you´re gonna go quit?"

"That´s not-"

"What? True? It is! You think you´re not good enough and you quit! That´s what you´ve been doing your entire life!"

"You´re asking for things that I can´t give you, Emma. Life has grays… many grays. And you´re asking me for white… I can´t give you white. I don´t want to disappoint you." There was something bugging him. What she said… about quitting, the despair in her face… Will knew it wouldn´t be easy to say all these things, he knew it´d be torture; but he didn´t know he´d feel his insides curling so violently.

"You have no idea what you want! And you have no idea how to deal with people that unlike you, do know!"

"Em…", suddenly, everything felt like a big, fat, terrible mistake. _What the fuck are you doing_? He didn´t want her to feel like this. He wanted to see her smile every day, love her and be loved by her, not be the object of her misery and loathing. She was outraged, yelling at him like no one before, her tiny fists buried in the couch cushions; if she could have shoot daggers out her eyes, now he´d be stabbed by a dozen. "It´s not that I don't want to be with you-"

"You have no idea what you want", she said again; he didn't. She was so right, "And you need to find out what that is before hurting anyone else in the process." The advice was chocked when leaving her mouth.

_No. No, no, no… Wait, wait, wait. This is not what I wanted_. "I didn´t mean to-". _Fucking moron. . .moron_. "Em, please-"

"I should have never fallen in love with you." Was her mumbled regret. Every decision made had been a mistake, a terrible misstep; and her words nipped at Will´s heart. "Leave."

"Em, I-wait- I´m so-"

"Please, leave!" Not even looking at him, she got up; the pillows fell to her feet and in a desperate attempt to amend himself, Will tried to take her hand. She didn´t want to sniff like that, to show herself so vulnerable, so hopeless; but she had given him her heart and he had just broke it.

"Em-" Anything he could do to make this woman stop crying he would do. Self-hatred had never been felt so intensely. He felt it, that wave of sweat on his back, his heart shrinking and his mouth going dry.

"Leave." As her last sob before locking herself in the bathroom.

Two seconds later, the front door opened and shut.

He was gone.

**Short chapter, uh? Please don´t hate be because of the angst! You know I always write happy endings! ;)**


	12. Chapter 12

XII

Shannon called him a moron for letting her go, and Will certainly felt like one.

Of course she didn´t answer any call or text he sent her for the past weeks. Whatever he did, Emma was unreachable.

He didn´t know it, but she had switched shifts so he wouldn´t find her when stopping by the Hospital to approach her. He didn´t know it either but she had started taking the back door to School after seeing him standing near the main entrance one night.

In the meantime, Emma wept, bitterly. This should be a happy time in her life, she was getting her degree; instead, she felt miserable, the biggest fool for believing in him.

She barely passed the exams and work was never that tedious.

Loneliness was all she wanted.

-XX-

The diploma ceremony found her with mixed feelings.

Dean Foster delivered her the cylinder certificate; a flash, a smile and it was over as fast as it had begun.

The room was nicely garlanded; grown up marriages congratulated their no-longer kids, laugher filled the air and she felt as lonely as ever.

Only Mike, the night shift nurse, had come to see her; a bouquet of white roses was her congratulation gift.

"Emma, c´mon! Cheer up!" He asked merrily, shaking her by the shoulders friendly, "This is a celebration! You should be happy!"

"I am." She surely didn´t look happy.

"Look, I don´t wanna see a long face, ok? The band is about to start playing so I wanna see you dance the entire evening; is that clear, missy?"

She giggled a little, "Ok, but promise me you´ll take me home when I'm totally waste-wha-", abruptly, a familiar voice up-surged over the din of the room causing her eyes fastened on the stage. For a moment, it had seemed so familiar it had tingled her heart.

The Emma saw him, standing on the low platform, a classic black trouser suit, an apologetic smile on his face, his eyes settled on her.

"Will…"

He was singing.

In public.

_Strange, dear, but true, dear,  
When I'm close to you, dear,  
The stars fill the sky,  
So in love with you am I._

If only he would stop looking at her like that.

She should have climbed on that stage and kick him the Hell out, but as much as she wanted to, the intensity of his stare didn´t allow her to.

It had been hard enough to avoid him for the past month, and now he was there so effortlessly. How easily could he ruin her attempts to be left alone?

_Even without you  
My arms fold about you.  
You know, darling why,  
So in love with you am I.  
In love with the night mysterious  
The night when you first were there._

But God, he was singing. In public.

To her.

And his voice had never sounded that beautiful to her ears before.

_In love with my joy delirious  
When I knew that you could care._

_So taunt me and hurt me,_  
_Deceive me, desert me,_  
_I'm yours 'til I die,_  
_So in love,_  
_So in love,_  
_So in love,_  
_So in love,_  
_So in love with you, my love, am I._  
_So in love am I._

The applauses snatched her back to reality; to the ceremony, where she´d just gotten her diploma. His eyes were locked with hers and Emma walked backwards, gaining some distance from the dance floor.

"What are you doing here?" Was all she could articulate; the confusion casting her eyes matched the shakiness of her voice.

"I-"

"I don´t want to see you." _Liar_.

"It´s your graduation." He said fighting with the impulse of taking her in his arms. But he had no right; he had dumped her and cheated on her. So he only offered a bouquet of white lilies which she looked at without taking.

"Yeah, and not because of you", she spat with trembling lower lip; "I almost failed." She was blaming him straight and openly. "Because you dumped me a month before my exams. You could have been at least a little bit more considerate and waited until I was done." Sarcasm had never tasted so bitter.

"I-I´m sorry." _That´s all you´re gonna say? After you´ve been chewing this moment for the past weeks? Speak! _He bid the gift again and Emma hesitated before finally taking it and dryly nodding to him in what was a gesture of appreciation.

"What do you want?" She walked to the bar at the back of the room and ordered a whisky. No ice. One gulp later, the drink was burning down her throat.

"I need to talk to you." He needed it like breathing.

"I don´t want to talk to you." Another sign to the barman was her request for a second shot. She couldn't do this without a drink.

"Emma, please…."

"Ok. Talk.". Big amber locked with embarrassed hazel; she really wanted to get over this and make him leave before starting to whimper like a pre-school.

"Not here, Em… please…", before she could stop him, his hand found hers and held it securely. "I love you."

"You dumped me! Remember? _You_! I loved you and you broke my heart, Will. And don´t forget you kissed another woman!". If he would have told her that months ago, she would have passionately made love to him. But now… now she was outraged; the images had hunted her dreams for the past month; his words had tortured her mind for whole nights and at a point, Emma began to believe maybe it was her fault, for over stepping; _who in their right sense would talk about babies after dating for barely four months? No one!_ But he had been a coward and she had been stupid. "So don´t expect me to throw myself in your arms and don´t expect to have my forgiveness, because you don´t have it."

"Emma, please hear me out, ok?" The drink slide across the wooden surface of the bar, but he was faster and grabbed it before she did. A second straight shot of whisky was a lousy idea.

"Wha- Ok." She snorted, getting rid of his grip, frustrated, tears starting to steam her eyes, "I´m listening." She didn´t even know why was she giving him the chance of explaining himself. He sure didn´t deserve it. But of course… she still loved him. "You´re ruining my graduation, you realize that? I should be happy and I'm about to burst into tears."

"I don´t want you to." His hand sneaked closer to hers, longing to feel its warmth again and hold it forever, but she recoiled, mouth pursed to avoid crying.

"Oh! So now you suddenly know what you want?"

"Yes. You", he couldn´t feel more shamed and stupid; _he_ had broken up with _her_. He and his stupid fear of commitment and low self-esteem. "I just can´t stand another day without you. I want to make you smile, not cry, Em."

"You cheated on me! _You_ dumped _me_!" She hissed again; some of her classmates passed by her side, none of them dared to say a thing.

"And I regretted both the minute they happened", he sighed, his soul tearing apart when she refused to look at him, "I hated it; I hated to make you cry… I hated to touch another woman that wasn´t you… Please, believe me..."

"Maybe you were right after all… Maybe you´re not good enough for me. Maybe I deserve better." She knew he was the only man which she had been truly happy with. He loved her, he kept claiming, and she loved him as well but she felt broken.

"What? No, no, no, no… Listen, Emma, listen to me", desperate, his hand found her forearm; preventing her from leaving, because he was certain she would in any minute, "You deserve to be loved and _I_ love you. _I_ want to make you happy. More happy that you´ve ever been", she said nothing for a while so he continued in a whisper taking a step forward, "I thought about it."

Finally, she looked at him. "What are you talking about?"

"About babies. When you asked me that that day, remember?" His confession tinted his cheeks red, "I had thought about curly haired babies with doe eyes, just like yours."

"No. No.", her head shook multiple times; her eyes balked at his piercing gape.

"No what?"

She looked utterly confused. "No." _Now? You´re telling me this now? _Not a thing he had said had been said on time…

"I remember what I said. It was stupid and not even true." His voice was rushed, spewing everything he had been senselessly keeping locked, "But I loved you. I love you, Emma… please, please… I love you. Heal me, ok? Please. I love you, I…." He was crying already, plainly, and so was she. "I´m sorry. I should have never done or said any of those things… Please, darling, let me mend this…"

_Oh, Gosh_… She couldn´t see him like this anymore. It felt a million times worst than the hideous day he told her all those things. He had her hand clutched between his securely begging her with this eyes for forgiveness, and kissed the top of it, softly, his own tears soaking her skin.

It didn´t feel right, seeing him like that… It felt hideous, like spearing him repeatedly, over and over again. Slowly, Emma reached forward and brushed his temple, before running her fingers through his hair. He had curls indeed; thick, abundant, smooth curls. His eyes were piercing hers; he looked confused and hopeful.

"You have curls…" She sobbed low, her slender fingers mixed with his hair, caressing him coyly; a subtle sign to let him know it was ok. _Please, don´t cry_. _Don´t cry…_

"Yes." He sniffed against her flesh.

And then she found it; the scar at the back of his head; that scar that reminded her he was still alive and breathing; that scar that still caused chills down her spine.

With delicacy, he brought her close at the feeling of her loving touch. "Please believe me. Take me back, Em."

"How do I know you´re not lying again?", she wanted to believe him, desperately.

"I´m not. I want you with me every day. Only you. I was scare-", her touch was making his knees wobble and Will found himself holding onto her, his arm snaking around her tiny waist.

"What if you get scared again?"

But his head was shaking and he was coming closer. "I won´t. I _was_ scared, Em. Scared of everything you want, what if I couldn´t give you that? You had so many expectations in me, I didn´t know I could fulfill them."

"I never-"

"I know, I know…", gently, his hands cupped her face, struggling to make her trust him again, "But being alone, Em… I just couldn´t stop thinking about you; you deserve so much better. And I want to be a better man for you. Please take me back." His forehead rested on hers; his murmur was low, only for her to hear him and regret shaped every single line of his face.

The pads of her fingertips, round and soft, traced his scar from side to side; the emblem of his rebirth.

"You´ll have to heal me, Will. I have scars too."

**This is not over yet!**

**Thoughts? =)**


	13. Chapter 13

XIII

It took him weeks to see the old Emma smiling the way she did months ago. It took him nights of talking and sharing silence in the comfort of each other´s arms.

"You´ll forgive me, Em?" He had prepared dinner for her and moved to the couch later, where she´d cuddle on his chest, "… completely?"

"Yes", a nod reinforced her words, "It's just, Will, you… I don´t know how to say this without hurting you…"

"What is it?" Gently he pulled away and looked at her, at her distressed expression.

"I can´t help feeling… I feel I'm getting ready for disappointment again", and Emma couldn´t go throught that again; her heart punded hard just because of him.

"I won´t disappoint you, Emma", how long would it take to make her trust him again? "You have to believe me."

"I do. You´ve been… _You_ for the past few weeks…", a soft kiss lingered on his lips. "And I never apologized for-"

"You have no reason to apologize." He silenced her with another peck before bringing her to rest on him once again, "I want us to be like before…"

"I should've been a little more considerate towards you… saying all those things about us, kids… you know? That´s how I've scared off every single man I've dated… So I shouldn´t blame you complet-"

"Emma?"

"Uhm?"

"Shut up."

She giggled softly and snuggled against him once more, breathing the warm breeze coming from the window.

"I want to tell you something." Maybe he should have said this before, "You´re the only woman I've been with since the accident."

His words caressed her spirit and absolute contentment made her chest swell. "Re-really?" That wasn´t what Emma had thought, but now, after all the water had passed under the bridge, she believed him.

"Really. I didn´t want to be with anyone else but you." He knew it was important for her to hear it, "Even before we were together… it just didn´t feel right."

"I thought you had… all those girls back in the Hospit-"

"I did date all of them… but suddenly I didn´t care for any of them… not like they deserve at least. I only wanted to talk to you."

"I wanted to have a reason to go see you." She spoke softly, rubbing his chest lovingly, before her next confession spilled, "I went to see you once, at night…", he tried to find her gaze with his, but she was shy hiding from him, "To take you dinner… but there was someone else with you… A, uhm, blonde girl"

"Terri… " He nodded regretfully, and just had to tell her, "I remember… that was the night I kicked her out… she, erm, she was being inappropriate."

"I know… I didn´t know you told her to leave."

"I didn´t want her close…" He explained sighing and holding her tighter, "I wanted to tell you that"

"Ok… I´m glad you did."

He left eventually; it was too soon to spend the night at her place. The fact that she didn´t ask him to stay every time he´d kiss her goodnight told him so. She wasn´t ready. And he deeply respected it, he would amend the big mess he´d made and he´d heal her, just like she had healed him.

"I love you." He´d whisper each time, before going back home, and kiss her smoothly.

"I love you too."

-xx-

Will never imagined something as silly as turning 34 would be that triggering. Realizing death had brushed his shoulder almost five months ago was a bitter pill he couldn´t cope with. He was walking now, as healthy and recovered as if nothing had happened. But what if he wasn´t? What if he wouldn't have been able to get off that bed? What if, what if, what if…? Guessing plagued his mind for days… it anguished him; thinking he could be at home now, lying in bed, with no other company than a nurse he´d be paying to occupy the same physical space.

Heartrending thought.

"Will, are you ok?"; Emma had surveyed him most of the daytime hours. He seemed so deep in meditation, for a moment she thought something bad would happen. But then he would be excitable, especially after minutes in silence when she´d call his name. He´d jerk and run a hand through his hair, trying to compose himself.

"Erm, yeah… ", he was a terrible liar, such as her.

"What´s going on?", gently dismissing his blatant lie, the redhead snuggled on his chest; the elm crown cooled their bodies with its shadow and Will sighed.

"It´s my birthday in a week…", he simply stated, wondering if she´d understand what he meant.

"I know… ", he felt her cheek nodding against his pec and instinctively, the grip around her waist tightened.

"I´ve been thinking about, erm, going to see my car", he coughed that last part with embarrassment, although she had brought the idea up once, a couple of months ago.

"Really?", a node was his silenced response, "Do you want me to go with yo-"

"Yes"

What used to be a high priced black car was now a piece of tin, every single inch that had collided against the asphalt was bent in strange, hair bristling, angles.

"What ya wanna do with it?", the middle age man working in the car depot asked Will with a hint of impatience.

His eyes were stuck on the dented vehicle, on the non-existent windshields, on the dry blood spots on the seat upholstery…

He gulped hard, endeavoring to picture himself right there instead of the glass smithereens adorning the leather, "Uhm, I-I don´t know". What could he actually do with a piece of garbage? Which also would bring him torment?

"Ya could sell what´s left of it", the man trailed thoughtfully, "Repairing it is-"

"I don´t want to repair it. You… you think you could sell what´s left? I´d pay you", he really didn´t want to take care of that.

"Sure. I know someone who´d offer…"

The man kept on talking despite Will's lost stare. Everything, every little detail and little thing he had said and done in the past now felt like had been lived by a completely different person. Even the remains of the car reflected what kind of man he used to be, what kind of expectation he had for life; picking up girls to reach what he thought was Paradise. _What a schmuck_…

It wasn´t until a sound that made his heart beat faster reached his ears that Will turned around to see her.

Emma´s soft giggle. It drew a smile on him.

A little boy taming one of his puppies was trying to impress her. And the melody was absolutely chest swelling.

Realization had never tasted so sweet; what had been a knot constricting his guts was now thawing tickles ignited by a flame Will only could describe as utter and full-blown love and devotion.

The interested look on her face to what the boy was saying, the light beam on her lips, the tenderness casting every feature of her… everything, absolutely everything was so beautiful it made his chest hurt. And then the concern on her eyes when lifting her gaze to meet his.

He read his name on her lips and then watched her saying something to the kid before unbending herself to go to him. She couldn´t; in four strides he was facing her. Tall, so tall; eyes darkened and tears running madly down his cheeks.

"Will-"

Not giving her the chance to ask anything, he crushed their mouths together and kissed her like it was the last time he´d be able to. Roughly at first, then carefree and slow, rejoicing with her flesh moving so perfectly with his.

"Will-", she breathed sharply, cupping his face to catch the air.

"I love you", he flushed her body against his, passionately, and held onto her. She had always been his touch stone.

"I love you too", her fingers run across the curls on the back of his head to find the so familiar scar beneath the abundant hair.

"I´m in love with you", the words echoed in her ears and Emma shuddered, "You´ve saved my life, Em"

"I only helped you heal, Will", she was so modest sometimes and he pressed her on him further if that was even possible.

"You saved me", he stated sternly with a smile and added when she was about to protest, "You saved me from the awful me I was. And now, I´ll heal every wound I´ve given you"

"You already did", a soft kiss on his lips was her way to shush him, "And I´m in love with you too"

-XX-

"I have something for you." Emma´s voice came out softly when he walked to her while she made dinner.

"You didn´t have to get me anything, Em." He placed a soft kiss on her cheek and she shook her head.

"It´s your birthday, Will… And I wanted to. It´s in my bedroom, go get it. And tell me you don´t have it." She joked when he walked to where the present was.

"Em!" His excitement revealed he didn´t have it in fact, "Where did you get it?"

"An old records store", she explained and smiled widely seeing his thrill, "Go! Put it on the player…"

"How did you know I like Cole Porter?" He asked from the living and then came back to reunite with her again.

"You sang to me…"

He could tell there was a hint of sadness in her words; the little tiny wink in her eyes got his heart shrinking for a moment. "So in love…"

"Uh-hu"

"Em…"

"It´s ok, Will." It was really, but sometimes she regretted how things had turned out.

"Is it?" He couldn´t conceal his uncertainty.

"Yes. I love you. I´m done with the past."

"Are you-"

"_Let´s fall in love_…" She hummed with the background music and he chuckled, "_The Dutch in all Amsterdam do it, not to mention the fans_…"

Her hips shook lightly with the rhythm and biting her lip, Emma snaked her arms around his neck.

"You have a beautiful voice." Was his encourage for her to continue singing.

_Some Argentines without means do it,_

_People say in Boston even beans do it,_

_Let's do it, let's fall in love._

He kissed her cheek and chin, letting his lips to run across her jaw line, spinning their connected bodies along the kitchen.

_Electric eels, I might add, do it,_

_Though it shocks 'em I know,_

_Why ask if shads do it,_

_Waiter bring me shad roe_

"I can´t sing if you…" She whispered snickering when his hands scratched her ribs, sending chills through her spine.

_The dragonflies in the reeds do it,_

_Sentimental centipedes do it,_

_Let's do it, let's fall in love._

_Mosquitoes, heaven forbid, do it,_

_So does every katydid do it,_

_Let's do it, let's fall in love_.

Pinning her against the counter, his lips found hers even before he could think of taking things slow. "I don´t need to fall in love… I´m already in love with you, Em…" He mumbled between kisses which she returned with equal passion.

_The most refined ladybugs do it,_

_When a gentleman calls,_

_Moths in your rugs do it,_

_What's the use of moth balls? _

"Let´s do it…" She sang along and shivered at his touch.

"Let´s fall in love… "

_Let's do it, let's fall in love._

_Let's do it, let's fall in love,_

_Let's do it, let's fall in love_

They landed on the soft mattress, lips puffed after kissing lengthily and non-stop for minutes. With patience and care, clothes slid down their bodies; fingers stroked places veiled for weeks, eyes watching carefully every executed movement, lips ghosting neglected skin.

Little by little, fire ignited their souls, breathing speeding up after every deliberate touch.

"_So taunt me and hurt me, deceive me, desert me, I'm yours 'til I die…" _Emma hummed in the shell of his ear, hands bringing him closer.

"No…" Gently he pulled away, cupping her face, "Never again, doll." His lips found hers, caressing them so very softly.

"Ok." She opened for him, luring him into her, "_So in love with you…my love… Am I_…"

Two gasps flew out in harmony as their bodies collided. "I love you." He breathed and moved his hand beneath her, adoring the curve where her waist became hip, so trapped against him and the mattress.

His shoulders felt strong and fitting under the pads of her fingers, pressing his back onto her nudity, applying just the right amount of pressure on her breasts.

He moved forward and Emma mirrored his action, hipbones rubbing together painfully delicious after every thrust; being imprisoned like that, never felt so right, and she enveloped her thighs around him, allowing him to be deeper inside her.

Gazes remained locked; fire and yearning taking control of both, but neither of them willing to succumb into desperation. They had time, so much time…

"Easy…" Was his gruff plead against her mouth when his lover sway forward; it was his turn to take care of her. "Slowly, sweetie." He placed feather kisses behind her ear and travelled to her neck, sucking and biting the hot skin there.

She nodded enthusiastically, feeling herself blazing beneath him, under the passion of his eyes, as he moved with almost maddening slowness, although he was making her burn, "O-ok."

"I love you, Emma." Gradually, his pushes became deep, long, paused strokes, leaving her mewing after every one of them.

"_Iloveyoutoo_", she was already panting, writhing, meeting his vigorous rams, holding onto him tightly as she could, nails digging into his strong shoulders, "_Ugh,Iloveyoutoo_"

Her walls clamped around his manhood, announcing her climax and Will kissed her passionately, gripping her face, obliging her to look at him to observe her come undone. "Come, Em…" His fingers combed through her hair, as the first tremors began; inadvertently at first, hard and intense later. She cried, arching onto him, breathless when his drives lingered inside her for more time than necessary, helping her reach her highest peak. "Can you feel it? We´re making love…"

"Ugh, yes, yes… " Her hips shook violently and eyes rolled back, thighs wringing his lower half; the desperation of wanting him there forever, every inch of her skin about to explode, the tension in belly… it was excruciating. She shuddered, his name rolling off his lips, the blanket crumpled securely between her fingers as choppy, raspy moans, she didn't care to stop, spilled forth. A whined mew left her, eyes wide opened and felt him tremble, bathing her insides when coming inside her shaking body, his mouth unconsciously finding her when their eyes met.

"Oh, God…" She was breathing heavily, softly sucking on his bottom lip, when they were still one, connected, and refused to let go. "You-you gave me chills…" He chuckled hoarsely and shifted her a little, "Oh-Don´t…" Her insides were on fire; it was skin to skin contact and Emma loved it; the feeling of such intimacy; but she´d come again if he moved too much, "I´m- Uhg… Will…"

"I know…" He teased her, winded, rotating himself on her sensitive nub of nerves, and the redhead snorted a giggle

"W-Will…."

"Don´t you want?" He could feel the new contractions squeezing him all over again and his hot tongue learning the angle of her gullet when Emma tilted her head aside.

"Y-yes-" His moves were calculated, coaxing her to a second explosion of bliss and delight… Gosh she didn´t know if she could do it without bursting into tears of love.

His wet flesh took her there, his gentle fingers sandwiching amid their bodies to circle on her velvety heat, pushing her to that hallucinating state that´d make her legs numb and make her cry in pleasure. She did, eventually; the record was still playing and they were gasping for air, still clutching themselves to each other, unwilling to feel alone and cold again.

He felt her lips touching his, almost brushing them, and not even waiting until the air was enough, he kissed her senselessly, feeling her smile against his flesh.

"Happy birthday." Her caresses were like velvet across his jaw, lurking there for a moment before bringing him to lean completely on her.

"_The night is young, the skies are clear, and if you wanna go walking, dear_," his uneven voice came out low on her naked chest, joining the background music and Emma giggled, _"It´s delightful, it´s delicious, it´s delovely…" _

"_I understand the reason why, You´re sentimental, ´cause so am I, It´s delightful, it´s delicious, it´s delovely._" She joined him coyly.

"You know… Cole wrote this song for Linda." He spoke in a murmur slightly lifting himself to look at her.

"Really?"

"Yes, he had to come up with this word to even begin to explain his feelings for her."

"Oh…"

"Which is a huge inconvenience for me…"

"Why is that?" Her question was playful as a wide grin lined her lips

"´Cause if a genius like him had to do that… what will I have to do to show you how much I love you? I´ll spend the rest of my days thinking about that…"

She giggled and held him tighter. "What you just did is perfect already."

"And that is…?"

"Spend the rest of your days thinking of me as I´ll think about you."

**That´s all folks! I hope you enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it! I would like to thank Becca for being an amazing Beta- Reader and helping me with this! **

**Pay attention! I´ll be publishing a new story soon!**

**Aggie**


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